It's been my privilege to visit Oxford on several occasions to speak to Samir's students -- which, of course, gives me the opportunity to also speak with him. He and I share an optimistic point of view about the future of magazines; however, we both agree that the magazine "business model," is flawed. Indeed, he's so concerned with the magazine business model's future, he's decided to step down as department head in order to create the Magazine Innovation Center to be housed at Ole Miss. The center will be devoted "to serve the industry as a nonprofit organization with a mission to foster innovation in magazines and other print media through international collaboration."

Back in February, on a beautiful and unseasonably warm day, I was in Oxford to speak with a group of Samir's students -- and for a chat with him. As I've learned from past experience, any conversation with Samir provides a parade of sound bites worth hanging on to. Typically, I take notes, but I asked if it would be okay to turn on my ever-present video camera.

What you'll see below is a five-minute version of that conversation I prepared for one of our Monday morning staff meetings. But I thought I'd post it here also, because it can be enjoyed by anyone who cares about the magazine format. In it, Samir talks about a wide range of issues including magazine names, the need to keep a magazine fresh, and whether or not today's university students -- surrounded by technology -- still have a place in their lives for magazines.