Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — In its 10 years of existence, Rogue Magazine has made a space for itself in the local publishing landscape. It’s been known for its smart content, as well as for some of the most iconic magazine covers of the last decade.

READ: Celebrating Rogue Magazine’s 100th issue: Mark Nicdao on iconic covers

With the recent announcement of Jonty Cruz as its new editor-in-chief, it’s exciting to see where Rogue is headed in a time where many publications are working harder to expand their online reach, and some are doing away with the print medium altogether. Cruz has worked as an editor in Esquire Philippines and as Young Star’s editor-in-chief before joining Rogue in 2016 as deputy editor. Cruz will be succeeding Paolo Reyes, who was the editor-in-chief of Rogue for five years before leaving the magazine in 2016.

Cruz spoke to CNN Philippines Life about Rogue’s place in local publishing and what we can expect from the publication in the coming years.

How would you evaluate Rogue’s journey as a magazine over its last decade in existence?

What struck me first with Rogue was its design. Just starting with their covers alone, from the subject, to the typography, to the photo itself, everything about it felt so fresh among everything else in the newsstands. It had that air of sex and confidence, almost daring you to buy it. Rogue’s Creative Director Miguel Mari [and] Art Director Miguel Lugtu deserve as much credit in shaping Rogue as anyone in its 10 years. Maybe even more so.

After 10 years though I think its look has become both a blessing and a challenge for Rogue. A lot of local magazines today have been inspired by or even co-opted Rogue’s aesthetic to varying degrees of success. So many titles now want to have that edge and beauty to them, that Rogue has done so well for so long. The challenge now is the same as the challenge it had 10 years ago, how does it stand apart from all the rest? It’s daunting but it’s exciting all the same, and hopefully we figure that out sooner rather than later.

Jumping off of that, where is Rogue headed under your leadership? What’s changing and what’s staying the same?

For the most part Rogue is still clear on what it wants to be, and that’s to be the best title on the market. Again, 10 years ago, everything Rogue was doing felt so new and fresh but with so many magazines now following in Rogue’s footsteps, the challenge now is to redefine itself once more and stand out while still keeping that same spirit Rogue has had for so long.

Even before I was promoted to EIC, it was clear within our editorial team on what kind of magazine we all wanted to do. We wanted Rogue to really be in the present and try to make as much noise as possible. I think with the current state of the industry, you really have to stand out or else you’ll fold. 

As for the changing part, it’s not so much an issue of change, rather than an issue of expansion. The magazine is still the heart of Rogue but we need to expand its reach both online and wherever else our market is. I have no fear that our editorial team is dedicated to making the best product consistently, so then it’s just getting as many eyes on it as possible.

What insights and skills do you feel you bring to the table as editor-in-chief?

My time in publishing has allowed me to really hone in on the kinds of stories and products I want to do. The first lesson I ever learned about this job was during my time in Esquire, the main goal was to create content that would get people talking. I still hold that to this very day. And sure, the word provocative was thrown at us, but the second lesson I learned was that shock was nothing without the context to back it up. And especially with the covers themselves, a beautiful image means nothing without a profound idea behind it. And if you look at the greatest magazine runs from U.S. Esquire in the ‘60s to Spy to Wired, it all really began with their covers. They were all relentless. They never stopped making their presence felt. And that spirit of relentlessness is what I hope to bring to the table.

What role do you think Rogue plays in the landscape of local publishing? What role do you think it should play in the coming years?

To be perfectly honest, there’s a lot I wish for local publishing. There’s so much potential for magazine titles to aim higher but for one reason or another, it’s been in the same place as it was 10 years ago — with a few exceptions, of course. 

I feel, for better or worse, the Philippines has never had a more interesting time since the new millennium and it would be a shame for local magazines to not discuss or address that. I’m happy to say that most of my peers I admire feel the same way and are working towards that goal. So I hope with Rogue, we hit the ground running and just go all-in in tackling the very best and most exciting stories this country has to offer.

Another big question among magazines has to do with the value of the print medium. What merits do you think it still has, even as audiences have started to do more of their reading online?

I’ll always be print’s number one advocate and I don’t think that will ever change. I think with the rise of digital publications, the merits of print just became that much clearer to me. Stories are allowed to breathe more in print. The pressure to break news isn’t as important in print especially for a monthly lifestyle magazine. That schedule also allows us to tackle culture and current affairs in a different way beyond the usual recap or think-piece. We really want to give our stories the time that it deserves and print allows that more than any other medium.



But perhaps the most obvious value is design. You can do so much — anything really — with magazine design. It’s what I loved about Rogue from the very beginning and in my time as an editor for both Esquire and Young Star, I’ve learned that design can either make or break a story. And while online has been rapidly catching up in creating beautifully designed content, there’s still something about physically turning that page and being completely floored by a spread that in my opinion no other medium can ever match.