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

[wak84]

What's really interesting is (okay I'm probably starting a class war here) that the National Enquirer is heavily read in small towns. It's entertainment and Palin will be all over it for the next 2 months. I really doubt, long term, that it's small town base will stop reading it. It's just too much delicious gossip but enough to raise doubts among small town America. I grew up in one and my family still lives in one. They eat this stuff up. The NY Times or Wash. Post? Nah, liberal rags. But National Enquirer and the Star (is it still published?)--it's their print news, along with Rush Limbaugh on the radio. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in a beauty shop. Will they vote for her if she's in the National Enquirer?? Who knows, they might vote for Brittney Spears.

[doctorwang]

The National Enquirer is in Alaska presently looking for anymore juicy tidbits about Palin and her clan. Hopefully, they'll stay on the job until, say, November?

[eladora]

They said they were on the trail of an affair with her husbands business partner. They wont hold up print or be afraid to go with a story.

[eladora]

This is how the rich corporate party works.

[srtjsrtj]

Americans Are Smarter we will get our Country Back and Live Restore our jobs, pensions, homes the whole promise.

[eladora]

The youth have got to vote. That is the way to take the WH back, And they have to vote in overwhelming #s. Let's hope they do.

[ibsteve2u]

Republican read "Us"?

Well, I'll be...to hear them tell it, they are the serious, leadership types...

[Soundofthunder]

Too many words. "Republicans read?" suffices. Just taking a cue from George "No time to read the newspaper" Bush.

SOT

[IowaCali]

So, it sounds like all the republican hockey moms canceled their subscriptions.

[BigLib]

and Hillary supporters

[observer007]

Doesn't matter does it Karl? Lie or truth, as long as it's in the public eye, it's what people think. Like it or not, the tabloids are going to have a field day with her. The few subscriptions that are lost actually don't mean much to the bottom line of these companies. In the meantime, every grocery store in the country will be delivering the message "Palin is corrupt" to millions of eyes every day, even if half the RNC budget supports her.

[SaltySaltillo]

Didn't the cover just state a lie? I thought she is under investigation for firing an innocent supervisor who refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law.

[ProFromOre]

???? huh?

Yes, troopergate is a ONE of the many Plain scandals, so far. And SHE has TOLD a pack of lies. And there is a baby. Oh, that's the lie, I get it. Only one baby, so it should be baby, not babies.

Hell, I think I'll subscribe. Just so I cancel over THAT horrible lie.

[LightSword]

Continue with the lies and deception liberals. The backlash will happen right before this election! You will be the reason Obama loses this election =)

Anyway!
Step away Washington elites, the Mavericks John McCain and Sarah Palin are in the house! You guys are so scared! You cannot mess with those Mavericks, because they're gonna shake you up! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!

[Veronica]

The stink of disingenuous desperation emanating from your post is overwhelming. It's funny, though, you buying the MSM narrative hook, line and sinker. Newsflash: McCain is the epitome of a "Washington elite." He's been in DC for 30 damn years. People with brains aren't buying the crap you're selling, so LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!

[mephjeff]

Hehe...I love reading the unhinged. It's also why I always listen to street preachers. You just can't buy that type of entertainment.

[SUNRAI]

It's like Rebels without a cause. They have no purpose.

[viewfromuphere]

what are you..spamming...I've this sentence a couple of times now

[oliviasmommi]

Oh yeah...we are terrified...lmao...if Sarah Palin, John McCain, and the Republicans were as confident as Sarah's "performance" was supposed to make us feel, she would have spent less time on her sarcasm and more time telling people what she really stands for...95% of her speech was about Obama...5% about her...and 0% about the issues of abortion, sex education, creationism, etc. Her speech was more like a roast you would see on Comedy Central than a speech given at a political function of historical importance.

[SusanK1951]

"Us" has always been scandal-oriented and when it involves babies, even better. Their readership knows it, and is usually fine with it. This isn't the lowest they've gone by any means.

[luvangelHussein330]

Exactly! had it been Michelle there wouldn't be any drama...matter of fact they would have been trying to get their PTA buddies to subscribe

[Thinks4Herself59]

I think it's time for a subscription! hahaha Tick tock tick tock...waiting for the next Enquirer to come out...