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

[javajacket]

There is something to be said about standing up to them. I too just subscribed and recommend you do so too --

https://w1.buysub.com/servlet/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=USW&cds_page_id=46566

[LemonMeringue]

I don't think I can go that far, but I'll buy this issue - first time ever.

[Donnat]

I can't wait until the Enquirer starts churning this stuff out. And I'm curious to hear how the GOP will claim those evil latte sipping liberals are behind it...

[StephCaster]

US Weekly has subscribers (other than dentists and hairdressers)? Who knew?

[PennsyLiberal]

Remember that GOP ad about Obama being a celebrity. I'm still laughing. Who's the celebrity now?

[whiteboyblues]

Palin is a phony

[barackobama4prez]

The breaking even comes from supporters of BHO who want the tough coverage.

Women should be treated as equals! NO TOKEN WOMEN.

Talk to the press Sarah Faker. It's been 8 days.

[LibRS]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. its just killing you all that she isnt crawling on her knees to the press isnt it. i LOVE it!

[DebbieinPhx]

No LibRS, you've got this all wrong. This woman is an empty suit...ski­rt? She's a ruse, a cypher. Get it? The Rovian handlers at the McCain Camp went on the morning programs and catagorically said Palin would NOT be granting any interviews or go on any news programs, nor would she be available to answer ANY press questions.­... ever.

Now let's put on our thinking person hat. Is that a good thing or does that sound like someone is trying really REALLY hard to prevent the media and by that I mean AMERICANS to find out what the heck this bill of goods is all about?????
Why hide from interviews? Why can't she answer ANY questions.­.. hell they're sending her back to Alaska.

This morning on Morning Joe in response to whether Sarah Palin will submit to any interviews, Rick Davis said in response to whether Gov. Palin would be doing ANY interviews or answering any invitations to join news programs/interview programs… "We'll do what's best for us" - Someone should hand him one of those "Country First" signs people have been waving all week.

Think, LibRS think... is this good? Or does this have the distinct stench of a ruse?

[barackobama4prez]

It's killing me that she is a fake woman and doesn't deserve the job. We will send her a$$ back to the eskimos soon enough.

[ex-pat]

She's crawling on her knees back to Alaska

[LemonMeringue]

Sh wants the job, but she doesn't want to do the work.

Do you think McCain would let her telecommute from Alaska? I'll bet he promised her that.

[crablover]

Let's not pressure Sara. She needs time to learn all about that a VP does.

[sunny555]

PEOPLE magazine featured the same story on its cover, but the article took a whole different tone; i.e., it sounded like it was written by an actual reporter, not a tabloid feature writer. It just goes to show this topic COULD be covered, and done fairly.

Not only did I cancel my daughter's subscription to US, but I purchased one to PEOPLE.

[wellinformed08]

You will be canceling a whole lot more than that (insurance, credit cards, loans, retirement, college assistance, healthcare, privacy, etc) if you don't open your eyes, research all the candidates for yourself and then you end up voting for McCain in November.

[sunny555]

Not likely. My husband and I, who both work to pay our bills and manage just fine despite paying over 40% of our income to Uncle Sam, don't need the government's help. If the government keep our country safe and paves our roads, we consider ourselves lucky The more they are out of my life, the happier I am. Both parties stink IMO, and much of what they do, they manage to screw up. Maybe there really are good people out there who could run, but for whatever reason, they don't seem to make it to the upper echelons of power.

My family is the the "one" who pays lots into the system, but gets very little out of it, and has come to expect almost nothing. So, I doubt I will be canceling anything. If we could survive 8 years of Bush, we'll be fine no matter what.

[BabeeBK]

She's a celebrity now....com­es with the territory

[bubbaboo]

OKAY, now show your support and go out and buy a US Weekly today and pull out the little card and subscribe to it. Even if you don't read it, you can take it and leave it in your dentist's office or drop it off at the library (most resell them as a fundraiser--my library takes books too!) We need to make our voices heard. I already gave to the Obama campaign twice, and now I will donate to others who tell the truth. JUST DO IT, as what's her name once said.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Don't need a card. We have computer in front of us. It is called internet shopping. order on-line it is fast or quick support to reverse that boycott which is trying to ban valid news

[Candace8383]

Courtney Hazlett is so FOS
shes a right winger and a nepotism hire
IGNORE HER

[supergranny]

I didn't know NeoCons could read.

[MrMopar]

Oh yeah and we can vote too. See you Nov 4th.

[CindyM2008]

Oh we know you can vote. Thanks to people like you, GW B ush is in office.
We won't forget. See you Nov 4th.

[whiteboyblues]

We know, we know... look at the friggin' economy and budget

[wellinformed08]

Damn right I will see you- for the first time in a Presidential election-I'm voting to end the Republican Reign of Terror and OIL Greed! I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden and I will be bringing folks with me all day from sun up to sun down. I have already taken off work TO WORK for a greater, positive, better America! SEE YOU ON THE 4TH!

[barackobama4prez]

better not be wearing a john bush/sarah cheney button. I will shake or beat the hell out of a republican­...on sight! I swear 'fore lord!

[crablover]

And you'll probably again vote against your own interests, because you really enjoy watching the country go down the drain.

Wht do Republicans hate America?

[67yrolfe]

supergranny: The real corporate neo-cons can read. They run the country. It's their dumb supporters who can't read or think and the corporate neo-cons love them and want them to stay stupid. The real neo-cons wouldn't give a second look to these dumb supporters, they just use them. And their supporters are too dumb to realize this fact.

[auntiecairo]

Now we know who subscribes to the tabloids. . should have cancelled their subscriptions after the
Edwards scandal. .

[paris79]

Remind me, how did you guys react to the New Yorker publishing their satirical cover of Sen. Obama and Mrs. Obama?

[Candace8383]

there is truth and innuendo
i guess after all these years of having to lie to live with yourself you got mixed up huh?

[MadeinAmericaProud]

not sure of context of candance answer to paris' question.

[supergranny]

New Title for US Weekly.... "What the F*CK?"

[Richard22]

I thought the US cover was very restrained -- no mention of book banning, librarian firings, lobbyist hirings, pork-barrel projects, etc.