Stacey Vanek Smith: And now, for today’s Mid-day Extra, Jennifer joins me in the studio now to tell us a little bit more about the wide world of celebrity gossip magazines. Hi Jennifer.
Jennifer Collins: Hi Stacey.
Smith: So Jennifer, what makes American Media think that it can make money off a weekly magazine about reality TV?
Collins: So Stacey, I talked to the editor, Richard Spencer. He says the magazine’s not designed to be saved or treasured. It costs a $1.79 and it’s printed on thinner paper than you might find with OK! or US Weekly. And there’s something else: editorial costs may be a little lower because reality celebrities tend leak their own stories.
Richard Spencer: A reality star will tell you, I haven’t had sex with my husband for 6 weeks. It’s driving me crazy. He better do something in the next couple of weeks or you know what the marriage is off.
Not that that ever happens!
Smith: So Jennifer what is this magazine like?
Collins: Well, you know, there’s lots of splashy pictures. Liberal use of exclamation points. Lots of “OMG,” of course. There’s a section on the biggest fights of the week. And behind the scenes there’s a certain woman infamous for her appearances the Apprentice.
Omarosa Manigault: I didn’t come here to make friends. I said that from day one, and if you all stopped being so freakin’ sensitive.
Apprentice Contestant: I’m not sensitive honey.
Manigault: You just told me. I’m a good person.
Apprentice Contestant: I am a good person.
Manigault: But what does that have to do with this?
Apprentice Contestant: You know what? You know what. Life’s too short to be a b**ch.
Smith: Oh, I know who that is. That’s Omarosa.
Collins: Yeah. They’ve hired her to be the West coast editor.
Smith: Wow. Really. But Jennifer haven’t celebrity magazine ad sales been pretty soft this year?
Collins: That is right. People’s ad pages are reportedly down 4 percent this year. But Reality Weekly’s ad rate may be a bit lower than the OK’s or the US Weekly’s. And there’s another thing Reality Weekly has going for it — it’s highly targeted.
Shari Anne Brill is a media consultant.
Shari Anne Brill: The more involved an audience is with a given piece of content the more receptive they will be to an advertiser’s message.
Collins: I also talked to Samir Husni. He tracks the magazine industry and is a professor at the University of Mississippi. He described the magazine another way.
Samir Husni: This is like the newsletter for the club members. They just want to feel the sense of belonging.
They just want to be part of the Kardashian family, Stacey.
Smith: Well, who doesn’t? Thanks very much Jennifer.
Collins: Thanks, Stacey.
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