Okay, I admit that the title of this post is provocative, but then I’ve never been a fan of People magazine, even though a certain other member of our family is a subscriber (nobody’s perfect). Now comes another reason for me to convince that certain someone to cancel her subscription (I succeeded in convincing her to cancel it a few years ago, but then it somehow it was renewed):
LOS ANGELES — When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt negotiated with People and other celebrity magazines this summer for photos of their newborn twins and an interview, the stars were seeking more than the estimated $14 million they received from the deal. They also wanted a hefty slice of journalistic input — a promise that the winning magazine’s coverage would be positive, not merely in that instance but into the future.
According to the deal offered by Ms. Jolie, the winning magazine was obliged to offer coverage that would not reflect negatively on her or her family, according to two people with knowledge of the bidding who were granted anonymity because the talks were confidential. The deal also asked for an “editorial plan” providing a road map of the layout, these people say.
The winner was People. The resulting package in its Aug. 18 issue — the magazine’s best-selling in seven years — was a publicity coup for Ms. Jolie, the Oscar winner and former Hollywood eccentric who wore a necklace ornamented with dried blood and talked about her fondness for knives before transforming herself into a philanthropist, United Nations good-will ambassador and devoted mother of six.
Maybe I can convince HGTV to restart its magazine, and then convince the People readers in my family to switch to that…
Aneil
Filed under: Marketing and Media, Potpourri, Trust | Tagged: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, integrity, journalism, media, People Magazine, photos
