Leitrim book publisher impresses on Dragon’s Den

A Leitrim-based publisher was inspired by a nine-year-old girl who lost her sight due to cancer to create a magazine series accessible to every child, "connecting children with content" through audio- print stories.

Stephen Keane, former primary school teacher and founder of News Mag Media Ltd, has appeared on Dragon's Den with The Fact Factory, an accessible reading kit to include readers with print disabilities and learning difficulties, inspired by Laurel, who was “blown away” after reading the magazine series.

In the latest episode of Dragon's Den on BBC 1, which aired on Thursday, March 28, Stephen, alongside Laurel, appeared before the millionaire Dragons of the popular TV show, seeking to secure investment in his innovative project.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, the local publisher said he came close to securing £75,000 in investment in return for 10% of his company, Audio Mag Media.

“I always talked about being on Dragon's…did I think we'd get through? Probably not. But appearing on Dragons' Den was a very exciting opportunity for us,” he said.

“I had this lovely girl, Laurel, coming onto the show with me. She had cancer when she was four and lost both her eyes. So she showed them [the Dragon's juries] that the magazine really does work for somebody who's blind.

“And that was a huge thing for me, if nothing else. If people can see that on the show, then the job is done for me. I didn't get investment, but I think they began to warm to the whole idea,” Stephen added.

The innovative reading kit was created in collaboration with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) and is recorded by children from across the world.

Stephen said using AI voice was not an option as he wanted to create a connection with children through listening experiences. Children from Singapore, the United States, Australia and the UK recorded the features in the magazine series.

“It was a little bit challenging. But I have to say, the kids are brilliant and very talented. We have six children that appear in the series. Each of the characters are voiced by the same children throughout the series.

“It's all about reading for pleasure. It's about just connecting the children to the content. And very often it's children that probably are on the margins when it comes to reading for pleasure. So that was a big thing for us,” he added.

The Fact Factory was translated into Spanish and Ukrainian, including a Ukrainian version of the kit for Ireland, recorded by Ukrainian children.

Stephen told The Leitrim Observer that although Audio Mag Media was able to invest in the project, the four-year journey was a “very challenging” but extremely rewarding experience. “Without our original company, we wouldn't be where we are,” he said.

“Our business has been creating content since 2011 - children's content in the form of news, and features. We have a good team of writers here. We knew that audio would be the game changer, when it comes to making written content accessible to somebody who couldn't see it.

“We did everything ourselves, from design, from content to design. And then we partnered with a Japanese company called Gridmark Inc, who produced the pen and the technology for reading encoded audio files on printed paper,” he said.

The magazine series offers a screen-free reading and listening experience. It features hundreds of fun and fascinating facts on animals, insects, sea creatures, the body, famous buildings, and heroes from history.

Using raised UV markers and tactile tracking bars strategically placed on every page, children with visual impairment can detect the pen's audio-activation points through touch – enabling them to enjoy an independent reading experience like never before.

News Mag Media Ltd publishes the curriculum-linked monthly news magazines The Primary Planet, News Flash and Eipic, used in over 600 primary schools across Ireland. The company was founded in 2011 to create a children's newspaper and published four titles before The Fact Factory.

The reading kit is currently available in Ireland, Spain, and the UK, and it will be available in Australia and Japan in the coming months.

“The Fact Factory can and is making a real difference to young marginalised readers around the world. It's the world's first audio-print magazine series, specially created so children with print disabilities (dyslexia, visual impairment, etc) can enjoy an independent reading and listening experience just like that of their peers," Stephen concluded.