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Editor extraordinaire, Mark Frith, finally graduates from the University of East London, nineteen years later than planned

Friday 3 December 2010

 

Mark Frith was conferred with an honorary doctorate from the University of East London today, the university at which the Time Out editor completed just one year of his degree course back in the late Eighties.

Despite a short academic career, his three terms at the university were to prove pivotal in shaping his subsequent career.

Indeed, after leaving higher education, Frith’s first experience as a journalist was writing for Overdraft, the University’s student magazine, a job for which he was nominated for the title of Guardian Student Journalist of the Year.

By the age of just 24 he had landed his dream job as editor of Smash Hits magazine, however, it is as editor of Heat Magazine that he is probably best known. Under his guidance the magazine went through a complete rebranding and consequently saw distribution rise from 60,000 to over half a million.

In his citation, Mark, was referred to as one of the great magazine editors of modern times, before being officially conferred with a doctorate of Letters by University Chancellor Lord Rix.

Mark said: “This is my graduation. I should have graduated in the autumn of 1991, I’m a little bit late but then I often am for things. Although it’s nineteen years on, it makes me as proud as I would have been back then, probably even prouder.”

“It meant everything to me coming down to London and being part of such a warm community and such a fantastic environment. It gave me a lot of confidence in London life and it certainly gave me a lot of confidence in the world of magazines, my experiences at the University really set me in good stead for everything I’ve done since.”

The other honorary graduates conferred today were Deputy Mayor of London, Richard Barnes AM, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, Malaysian human rights lawyer Dato’ Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and MOBO-winning saxophonist Yolanda Brown.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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