View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
May 29, 2003updated 22 Nov 2022 1:12pm

American Pie 29.05.03

By Press Gazette

Are the days of beer and babes drawing to a close? New circulation figures suggest that lads’ mags such as Maxim, Stuff and FHM may have hit their peak, and not because of the ban by Wal-Mart. There are indications, it’s claimed, of a burn-out. That’s why old-timers such as Playboy and GQ have hired new editors and are revamping their content and layout. Already there are several new magazines waiting to cash in. According to Paul Turcotte, who was formerly with Ramp and is now publisher of Premiere, there are at least two million men in the US who every year stop reading lads’ mags – but are still habitual magazine buyers. Although still in their twenties or early thirties, many now have a wife and kids. It’s these readers the new magazines are after. Among the emerging titles are Ramp, Gear and a US version of Jack, to be called Jaqk. There is even a new magazine in the works at Time Inc. It will be called Love and aimed at women in their twenties and thirties looking for romance.

US journalists returning from Iraq are being warned that even genuine souvenirs and gifts are liable to seizure by US customs. A Washington Post reporter, Richard Lelby, discovered this when he landed at Washington’s Dulles Airport and customs seized a copper tray, a gift from a retired Iraqi police lieutenant with whom he had become friendly in Baghdad. Even though he declared the gift – for which his policeman friend had paid the equivalent of £15 – the agents seized the tray, detained the newsman for two hours under armed guard and wouldn’t even let him call his wife, who was circling the airport in their car. The tray remains in custody, while The Post seeks its liberation.

Since The New York Times invited readers to let them know of any other instances of plagiarism or fabrication by any of its reporters, hundreds of complaints have poured in. So many are there that The Times has set up a committee to investigate and also look into the way the paper may have fallen down in not discovering and acting on the misdemeanours of Jayson Blair. The Times has even recruited the retiring head of Associated Press, Lou Boccardi, to sit on the committee. What has angered The Times’ staff most is the way the 27-year-old reporter is now laughing at the exposure of his misdeeds. He even claimed in interviews with Newsweek and The New York Observer that he had become a symbol of what is wrong with The Times. He even referred to the paper as a snakepit – and said he was the victim of racism. Meanwhile most other US papers have devoted yards of newsprint to covering – and trying to analyse – what has become the biggest newspaper scandal in decades. It has also been a field-day for comedians and critics of the press. One of the unkindest, perhaps, was the Jay Leno joke that Iraq’s former Minister of Information had got a new job – as a fact-checker at The NY Times.

Despite the cloud hanging over it, The NY Times is still the US paper which has the most online readers. Most of the big papers that have websites enjoyed a significant increase in log-ons in the past year – but the NYT in March had almost eight million visitors, an increase of almost 25 per cent. Next were USA Today with six million and The Washington Post, with five million. Virtually all US papers make no charge, except The Wall Street Journal, which still came in seventh with 1,600,000 visitors.

By Jeffrey Blyth

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network