Us Weekly Palin Cover Causes Scandal? Maybe Not... UPDATE

***UPDATED 9/5, 3 PM***

A well-placed source at Us Weekly tells Huffington Post that since Wednesday, there have actually been a little more than 1,000 cancellations. However, there have also been a little more than 1,000 bonus subscriptions from supporters of the magazine, without any efforts on the part of the magazine to gain subscribers from the controversy.

"In the end, it's a wash, but encouraging to see how involved the readership is in the election," the source says.

The Palin story also drove Usmagazine.com's third highest day of traffic in the site's history.

Previously, MSNBC Scoop gossip columnist Courtney Hazlett reported that Us was losing between 5,000-10,000 subscribers after the controversial "Babies, Lies, and Scandal" cover:

Three celebrity weeklies -- OK!, People and Us Weekly -- featured Sarah Palin on their cover, but one of those magazines is reportedly losing subscribers because of it.

Us Weekly, which unlike People and OK!, chose a rather caustic cover line ("Babies, Lies and Scandal") is said to have lost thousands of subscribers in just the first 24 hours following the printing of the issue.

"I'm hearing it's 5,000, maybe more," says one well-placed source in the industry. Another source claimed that as many as 10,000 readers have already cancelled their subscriptions. A spokesperson for Wenner Media, which publishes Us, says "it is completely false that we are losing 10,000 subscribers." As for the 5,000 estimate, the spokesperson only said "that is false, too," but wouldn't comment further.

Related: Palin Cover Story Writer's HuffPost Blog: "I'm Voting For McCain"
Related: Sarah Palin Gets Cover Of Us, OK! Magazines

Comments

[rock2casbah]

This is a non-story. Who cares if the sheep do not want anyone investigating Palin. The rest of us are over here trying to decide the future leader of the free world with less than 60 days to vet her. So cray and cancel all you want. We won't have a media black out like we have had for the last 8 years. Nobody drug Palin kicking and screaming to this race. She wanted to be in this goldfish bowl. Stop playing poor Polyannam who didn't know? Now that's an insult to women.

[Ergon]

What about National Enquirer reports that Palin had an affair with her husband's business associate? Why hasn't HuffPost said anything, or is what's good for John Edwards not ok for her?

[roxn]

These subscribers have Fox News on their side - Us Weekly editor did an interview with Fox's 'Barbie' Meg [whatever] - over the accuracy of the magazine's cover.


US Weekly probably sold millions -

It was only though a deal with Fox News Execs. that Fox reporters have stopped or toned down their mauling of Obama - what will Hannity do?

And now they want all the Press - to follow their lead and ‘Leave Sarah Palin Alone' so they can get their Republican candidate elected.

Us Weekly must be lapping it up !!

[rock2casbah]

Where did you get this "agreement" to stop mauling Obama. They did no such thing. He had a meeting with them. It could have been because they requested the meeting to get him on. They need the ratings. He has all the media outlets wanting to interview up until the election.

Wow! How swiftly myths and legends spread.

[CaptainVideo]

Palin does not deserve to be taken seriously as a candidate for the Nation's second highest office. She is a joke and therefore the scandal magazines are perfectly justified in treating her as one. Hopefully the National Enquirer will do a job on her and thereby get the message that she is not qualified to the low information voters who the McCain campaign would otherwise be able to fool.

[macohmz]

She don't look so good in that picture! Stop it! You're freakin' me out!

[exPatPatti]

Waaaaa waaaaah waaaahhh.. is that Palin's baby? No, it's her playing a poor victim.

The neocon media dragged Senator Obama and his associations through the mud, picked him up, turned him around and dragged him the other way. Then they went afer Michelle. For Months and months and months. Obama got through it. And is still being attacked. Now it's her turn.

She needs to suck it up and grow a pair and stop whining like a spoiled child. Self-entitled pitbull barracuda, she is nothing but a simpleton and a no-experience, no qualification, morally challenged rrrrrredneck with a Jerry Springer family of dysfunctionals from a remote state where hardly anyone lives.

You neocons sure can dish it out but when it comes to taking it, you run and hide and whine about the liberal blogs, press, television, the whole world and their vendetta against all that is good and holy like a bunch of losers. Hit and run.

The neocon theme. "HIT and RUN and HIDE and scream UNFAIR!! from the holes you are hiding in" politics.

You live for double standards it's OK to go after Hillary but pray not when your mother of God candidate is questioned, rightfully by the media. And what do you do? Gag her and ban her from talking to the media.

You're a bunch of fr1ckin two faced hypocrytical crybabies.

[arebee]

Well said!!!!

[CaliTLC]

Yes, it is her turn. But when will McCan't have his turn?

[ladyv]

I don't know how anyone could expect anything else when they're revealed to the public as a VP candidate less than two months before the election. The only difference between the coverage she's getting and the coverage Obama has gotten is that 1. It's been compressed, but it couldn't have been any other way and 2. No one's claiming she's a secret Muslim terrorist and 3. Because of #2, crazies haven't been primed to try to kill her.

[ohiomark]

"US Weekly" is owned and published by Jan Wenner of "Rolling Stone" fame.

He is a huge Obama supporter and has donated to his campaign.

His is obviously biased in favor of Obama, considering his positive article about the Obama's printed earlier.

Credibility is apparently not important to Wenner.

[RhinoCrossing]

Since when did credibility ever matter to a republican? It's all about the "fluff" and stomp (and toe-tapping in the restrooms).

[TheHandyman]

Stop your whinning and acting like a two year old. As if there aren't any biased media on the other side that do the same!

[lmab]

See....her­e's the problem with Democrats.­....We defend ourselves while admitting our guilt. The Republican tactic is much more effective. Here it is......No­t only deny any wrongdoing, but act offended at the very thought and attack your opponent with everything you have, especially if it is not true.

ie.....ins­tead of admitting US magazine did anything wrong.....­state that the Republicans are unpatriotic and against the Constitution, the first amendment. Say it and don't stop saying it.

[YouDisgustMe]

you're right...he should learn from rupert murdoch...­credibilit­y means EVERYTHING to him...righ­t?

[Melissa]

Who even reads these? I wonder if any of their subscribers ever vote.

[rock2casbah]

Here they go again with the political affiliations ploy. Is there nothing that you don't always try to spin into some sort of liberal propoganda ploy?

Who would you think the readers of Rolling Stone would be more prone to want to read an interview of? He is marketing to his demographics. Just like Good Housekeeping would prefer a female.

You all are just mad that all you have is McCain and had to go out and get this 3-ring-circus family to drum up some interest. Well they have , is it our fault it's to the freakin tabloid set?

[nomobull]

desperate to explain why with this cover the magazine didn't fly off the shelf despite the media spin of her being the gop saviour

[athenasword]

What is sick is an election campaign run in the tabloids. If she is a serious, credible candidate then she will act like one: So far, not.

[abe lincoln]

I'm sorry, but can you tell me HOW exactly you believe that Gov. Palin is running her campaign in the tabloids? It is the liberal Democratic press that is attacking her with their ill-informed headlines and articles. Your comment is further evidence of the education level (or lack thereof) of the typical Democrat.

[RhinoCrossing]

If only the press were even more serious about pointing out the moral, skill, temperament, and skill imperfections of prior Republicans. We might not have to sit through an acceptance speech where the candidate, McCain, vows to stop betraying America while the economy tanks.

[TheHandyman]

Can you explain exactly how you've come to the illogical conclusions you have? Nothing you said is supported by fact. The facts are she took a town that had no debt and when she left it was between 19 and 22 million in debt. She decreased business taxes while increasing personal taxes. Remind you of anything? Like every year a Repuglican has been in control. And yahoos like you can't seem to figure out why things are getting worse for the working class! BTW, studies show that overall, Democrats and Independents have a higher education than do Repugs. More Repugs are educated in private religious schools and home schooled by evangelicals. Which were you?

[DMHendrix]

You know what they say "Abe" about people who start comments with "I'm Sorry, but"...YOU don't even believe the crap you say.

[LemonMeringue]

Too late. She's based a campaign on exploiting her children and granchildren.

[abe lincoln]

I'm sorry --- I thought her campaign was based on ethics, experience and morality. All of which far exceed either of the gentlemen on the Democratic ticket. The Liberal press is in a state of panic that their "prize" candidate may be overthrown and are now in attack-mode.

[IslandGyal]

People PLEASE register to vote before October 3rd. If possible request an absentee ballot and vote EARLY. I am not taking any chances with the republican this year; they like to disenfranchise voters, especially minorities. So, if you don't have to deal with them on November 4th do NOT!

[UnknownSoldier]

When is she going to do an interview with any member of the Press. Is she afraid of Sean (DumbAZZ) Hannity. I hope the Press ask her about her anti semitic church and her racist comments.


ENOUGH!!!

[genseric13]

They will lose a lot of subscribers in the long run just like NYT WashPo, etc. Whenever you clearly choose sides in an election, you stand to lose half of your readership. When will they learn?

[JulianJons]

So, you would rather they dont report at all?

[Higherground]

You would be making a valid point if we weren't talking about US.

You listed newspapers. US is a women's magazine. Unless they asked Sarah Palin to submit a recipe, or describe a recent remodelling project, US was always going to focus on the personal details in her life. That's what articles in women's magazines do.

Don't get mad at US. Get mad at the McCain team. If they had set up real news appointments with newspapers, then the article would've taken a different angle.

[08bluegirl]

Let me state at the outset that I do not agree at all with the political views of Gov. Palin. However, I am completely opposed to the publication of the story which appears in the latest issue of Us Weekly. I'm actually hoping that the magazine did get the story totally wrong because if it is actually true it is incredibly damaging--even more than a false story would be--to vulnerable and innocent people, and most of all to Bristol and Trig Palin. And if true, I actually have a new-found respect for Gov. Palin as a parent, if not as a politician. Seen in this light, the cover-up (if indeed there was one) provides irrefutable and undeniable proof of the love she has for her daughter; she was trying to protect her.

[dt42]

Hence the fact that this is a GOSSIP magazine. Rarely is much of anything in it the truth. US Magazine chose sides and lost subscribers. Hollywood has lost money on actors who refuse to keep their mouths shut.

[rock2casbah]

If you subscribe to US I don't seriously that you will give up the subscription because "Oh my God" they are gossiping about someone.

[wheatchix]

Yes, I would unsubscribe in a heartbeat and will do just that unless I see coverage of Michelle Obama in such an unpleasant light.

What's fair for one is fair for all. To have such a blatant bashing article for one side and a "fashion" spread for the other, particularly in that HORRIBLE purple dress, just screams BIAS.

[PKSSK]

I picked it up today and subscribed, as a contribution to Obama/Biden 08!!!

[dt42]

How Stupid

[abe lincoln]

What a fantastic salute to the Democratic party. [insert sarcasm here!!]

[blowhard]

i didn't know anyone even subscribed to US

[Sparty1]

I thought the exact same thing. Who subscribes to this? 20 yr old females?

[InofTouch]

and I laugh because Rolling Stone owns Us Weekly

[LemonMeringue]

I cannot wait for Rolling Stone to weigh in on Sarah Palin. Their political writer Matt Taibbe is a fine writer.