Samir Husni has been named to Folio’s 2016 list of the 100 ‘Most Important People in Magazine Media.’ Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
OXFORD, Miss. – Samir Husni, professor and Hederman lecturer in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi, has been named to Folio’s 2016 list of the 100 “Most Important People in Magazine Media.”
Known as “Mr. Magazine, Husni said it’s a great honor that the industry he loves and serves through teaching and consulting recognizes him as the lone person on the list from outside the industry.
“What adds to this honor is the category in which I was recognized, which is Industry Influencers,” Husni said. “Although it feels great to be the only educator on the entire list, it even feels greater to be in such great company as David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, and Bob Sauerberg, CEO of Condé Nast.”
Husni, who calls magazines “the best reflectors of American society,” has more than 30,000 first editions of magazines and uncounted numbers of specials and test issues. They’re housed in five storage units, waiting to be donated to someone to help open a magazine museum, he said.
He says earning a place on the list is a reflection of his students’ work. The magazine notes that each year, Husni attracts industry leaders to Ole Miss for the ACT Experience conference. This provides students with opportunities to brainstorm ideas and forge connections with industry professionals they would not meet without Husni.
Folio, a well-known magazine industry-focused publication, observes that although Husni’s students are “digital natives,” he is a powerful voice in the industry and a major proponent of print magazines.
“Mr. Magazine – the name itself is synonymous with magazine industry positivity,” Folio writes. “Husni is the printed magazine’s most avid collector. He has preached the gospel of print globally, and consulted on more magazine startups and advised more legacy titles than possibly anyone in the world.”
When Husni was hired at Ole Miss in the early 1980s, he knew more about magazines than most magazine publishers and editors, said Will Norton, UM journalism dean.
“For more than 30 years, he has demonstrated that expertise and, by naming him to Folio’s 100 list, the industry acknowledges his influence during these decades,” Norton said.
“As a senior member of the Meek School faculty, he has elevated Ole Miss to a place of prominence in graduating students who become leaders in the magazine industry.”