Crush Liberalism

Time, Inc., sold flattering coverage of Pitt-Jolie

I don’t care that a magazine gives glowing coverage of a Hollyweirdo power couple.  But is this yet another blow to the already dying MSM?  Details:

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.

In the People interview, there were questions about her and Mr. Pitt’s charity work and no use of the word “Brangelina,” the tabloid amalgamation of their names, which irks the couple. …

Naturally, Time, Inc. denies the claims.  But I’m not buying their denial at all.  It’s hard to believe that there was once a time that the MSM favored independence and did not allow anyone outside of their own newsrooms to dictate coverage.  That era is all but over.

Exit question:  How do you think Time, Inc., or any other MSM outlet would have responded if, during the campaign, McCain or Palin would have tried to enter into a contract with an “impartial” media outlet for favorable coverage?

November 21, 2008 - Posted by crushliberalism | Hollyweirdos, media bias