PRINTWhere are they now? Vox staffers weigh in. Q&A: Tom Foster
Courtesy of Tom Foster
Tom Foster was editor-in-chief of Vox during fall 1999. The former staffer is now an associate editor at Fast Company — a business magazine that focuses on innovation and technology.
May 15, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Tom Foster wasn’t interested in magazines until he studied at MU. His aspirations of becoming involved with the industry began during his graduate experience as editor-in-chief of Vox during fall 1999. We caught up with the former staffer who is now the features editor at Fast Company — a business magazine that focuses on innovation and technology.
Vox: Since your graduation from MU, where have you worked?
Tom Foster: I came to New York, where I interned at Men’s Journal. That quickly turned into a job, and I started as a fact checker. I stayed there for a while and got a bunch of promotions. Over the course of five years, I was the deputy editor. I then went over to Rodale, which publishes Men’s Health and Women’s Health, and I worked at a spin-off of Men’s Health called Best Life — another men’s lifestyle magazine. I was sort of spending my time between those two and helped launch that one. I was only there for six or eight months and went back to Men’s Journal where I became editor-in-chief. Last year, I came to Fast Company, where I am now a features editor.
Vox: Was magazine journalism your focus at MU?
TF: Yes. I hadn’t done much journalism before I went to MU. I was never on a school newspaper or anything like that. I knew I didn’t want to do newspapers. I wanted to do magazines, so I took a few classes and became the managing editor at the Global Journalist and did the editorship at Vox. Then I left and did my internship, and it turned into a job.
Vox: Any notable memories from working at Vox?
TF: I remember a lot of late nights. I remember a lot of late Tuesday nights. I remember not ever writing my editor’s letter until the very last minute and bothering everyone to get their copy in on time when in fact, I hadn’t even written my own copy. I would go home, write it last minute and jam it in and annoy everybody. It was a great way to have a working experience.
