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

[cyndeewi]

Everyone should know what is at stake here. It seems they are pitting Palin against Obama. If Obama was any other person then these people would laugh Palin off the stage.

[Ramirez]

Both tickets feature a senior statesman and a beauty queen.

[BrianMac]

Can you name a beauty queen that has accomplished as much as Obama? If you can then you've conceded that Obama can be and is both charming and attractive and is more than fit to lead. If you cannot, then your comparison is empty.

[USALover]

You are so right!

Why aren't they sticking to the real opponents in this race and the real issues?

Palin is running for VP...Obama is running for President. Obama and McCain should be speaking about the issues that affect the people for the people. This isn't a test...thi­s is the real deal.

Palin is sent out to be a distraction and its working...­this race is about the people...t­he issues of the people

[Daniboy]

Gee-I hope we do what is right for America. I really don't care what the rest of the world thinks. They are wrong about 90% of the time. Maybe Barrack could be the first president of the world and work out of the UN in New York. That would really have Russia shaking in their boots. Don't tell Barrack but they can veto him anytime if he would go the UN route.

[MM216]

Yup, those darn Europeans have been sooooo wrong for 1000+ years.
Spare me the xenophobia

[demfriend]

The reality is Palin matters little to me except that if mac wins they will destroy the rest of the country as they are the same mold as Bush/Cheney with the same aspiartions to build an empire based on oil and lobbyists. I saw people make the choice to re-elect Bush in 04 and I have not been wrong in my feeling then that the administration was a group of evil cronies hell bent on giving as much money and no bid accounts away as they could all the while doing all they could to take what was left of the military and run them aground. Knowing that people don't care in the long run who wins because most will vote the vote based on the comercial or the fears made out of crap and those of us who know better cannot make these people change their way of doing the process. How can we get Obama in the white house when the fears based on lies from the GOPis just getting louder? The focus should be on Mccain only and his empty promises and lies which he has covered up with attacks which are just more lies. Palin is just another tool of misdirection folks and no one sees it.

[Daniboy]

I heard a mad scientist put Rove in her head. Has anyone seen Rove lately?

[bwilder]

My Mother just sent this email to Senator Hollis French.
I have done so too.

Let's see if we can fill the Senator's email box. Pass it on!

Senator, I am writing to encourage you to move quickly with your report on Sarah Palin. Democrats across the country are watching and hoping you'll do the right thing.

I don't know why, but something just doesn't feel right about this person. With Carl Rove in the mix, it just doesn't feel right. He is a skate to the highest degree.

The whole world is watching us - the whole world is depending on the United States to change its approach to foreign affairs. This election is too important to have a weak, inexperienced, uneducated, dishonest person one breath away from the presidency.

Thank you for your bravery and hard work.
Sincerely,
Your name Here

[e-mail]

[Ramirez]

Your mother misspelled Karl Rove. And what's a "skate to the highest degree"/

[Daniboy]

Who does this uppity woman think she is. She should be home with the kids. If you are from Alaska you can't be smart. I heard her folks moved to Alaska after they were asked to leave Missouri. Does anybody know why they were asked to leave?

[Daniboy]

Palin will do interviews and she will wow the world again and you people here will just go on whining. You can always claim she is a closet Dem-too smart to be a repub.

[supergranny]

wow the world? which world is that? The Alaska Taxadermists for God?

[Daniboy]

80% of approval in Alaska. Must even be some Dems who like her. They are probably the uneducated Dems? Do you know of any other governor who has an 80% approval rating. Bill Clinton didn't that high approval.

[cyndeewi]

I could care less about Palin. If she does wow the people then good for her.

[KarlaElisa]

makes sense to subscribe if they ditched a big readership by exposing the truth on Palin. those pesky conservatives are really good at these boycotts. we need to band together and blow em out of the water. there are far more centrists out there.
then we can drive the consumer car, as it were.
now...may i propose a boycott of all main stream media and their advertisers???
or if any of you would liike to join me in the 'don't buy ANYTHING new' effort please feel free.
i refuse to support companies exploiting children and others with their criminal workplace policies and pay.

[doe26]

the cover is disturbing­...she looks like the woman from
the Soundgarden video "Black Hole Sun"

[watertiger5150]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. Kinda creepy huh?

[gretmoe]

I've just done my duty as a loyal member of the democratic party and subscribed to USmagazine! I'll donate it to the nursing home in my neighborhood. Please y'all join me! Lets show these ignorant neocons that they can't bankrupt folks who are curious about the candidates and want to know who they really are!
Hey repugs, I can bet you anything that your "baracuda goddess" will come out in a couple of weeks to defend against all the stories and media being aired about her. She and McCain't think that she can just run and hide in Alaska but we're going to bring her back, you just watch.

[linzy]

Who's the Rock Star now? Can you spell "Celebrity?" Maybe a video ad of Ms. Palin with Sly Stallone and Eric Estrada? (Well it's a stretch, but in advertising you work with what you've got.) All of this seems like one huge diversionary tactic so they won't have to answer the real questions, or in Ms. Palin's case "protect" her from the Third Estate until she's graduated from National Policy School.

CAN THEY PLEASE GET BACK TO THE ISSUES? How do we demand this? Treat everyone on an equal playing field, no softballs for Ms. Palin please seems fair to all. I don't want my VP tomorrow treated any differently than any other man/woman qualified for the job. Is she? We won't find out until they let her out of the bubble. Until then we get the US and People version. Sarah, leave the building!

[LemonMeringue]

Truth hurts.

If the MSM won't tell it, the tabloids will take over. Right now the National Enquirer has more credibility than some mainstream news sources.

[Gould123]

quick all o supporters run out an subscribe to US News, I like this gutsy magazine.

[doctorwang]

It's US Weekly. I do agree with you, though. And don't forget to pick up a National Enquirer. We need to support them in their quest for the truth.

[cyndeewi]

I just did when I saw this post. I was never a subscriber but I am now.

[seriously29]

sad, but true.

[ex-pat]

That settles it I am going to cancel my subscription to The Economist and subscribe to US

[supergranny]

good thinking, join us as we all run off the cliff together.

[BburgDaddy-o]

From Fox News interview with US Weekly senior editor:

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3064954&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,416785,00.html

[Waltb31]

Wow. Who is this bimbo from Faux news? She sure has her panties in a bunch! Since I don't watch that channel, I guess I haven't missed much.
Seems to me she is shilling for Palin.

[BburgDaddy-o]

Possibly, but she does make a good point. Why does the cover scream "Babies, Lies and Scandel" if US Weekly's intent regarding the "Lies" portion, per the senior editor, was to implicate liberal bloggers as the liars,and not just to present Palin in a negative lights and sell magazines? I get so sick of both sides of the media getting overzealous about everything and doing half-*ssed jobs of reporting.

Yeah, the FN chick was shrill, but if you objectively watch the interview, she might have had her panties in a bunch, but his panties were down around his ankles. The guy couldn't get out of his own way.

[janicegwashington]

"Today’s jobs report is a reminder of what’s at stake in this election – John McCain showed last night that he is intent on continuing the economic policies that just this year have caused the American economy to lose 605,000 jobs. John McCain may believe that the fundamentals of our economy are ‘strong,’ but the working men and women I meet every day are working harder for less, the typical working age family’s income is down $2,000 since George Bush took office, and their purchasing power is as low as it’s been in a decade. John McCain’s answer is more of the same: $200 billion in tax cuts to big corporations and oil companies, and not one dime of tax relief to more than 100 million middle-class families. If I am President, I will cut taxes for 95% of all working families and provide an immediate $50 billion to struggling states so that they don’t have to cut back on health care and education and can rebuild roads and schools. That’s the change working families need right now."