• by February 3, 2006

It appears that newspapers and television newsmagazines are not the only ones with credibility problems, at least as far as the general public is concerned. A new survey by Time magazine revealed that 25 percent of those polled believe that reality TV is "completely made-up." Also, 33 percent say the programs are "not very close to what happened at all." Another 29 percent say the shows are "largely what happened with a bit of editing," while three percent believe reality TV programs are "exactly what happened in reality."

The survey accompanies an article by Time's TV critic James Poniewozik entitled "How Reality TV Fakes It." In it, he says the truth is leaking out from staff members on various shows who create story lines and coach answers, but aren't paid for or credited as writers. Wow. With apologies to Claude Reins, I'm shocked--shocked--to find unreality on reality TV. Anyone care to wrestle?

En Vogue? Well, Sort Of

We knew this one was too good to be true. On Wednesday, Mag Bag got a press release claiming that Vogue, the ultra-chic domain of sultry, sun-glassed editrix Anna Wintour, would distribute copies of Wynn Las Vegas, a custom title published for flashy Vegas showman and hotelier Steve Wynn, to half a million Vogue subscribers. Mag Bag knew the mag industry, like politics, made strange bedfellows--but this one was too much. The release even claimed the deal had been struck between Wintour and Wynn, who are--it claimed--good friends. Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that the folks who issued the press release spoke a little too soon.

What was really happening was that Wynn's magazine was going to advertise in the March issue of Vogue. OK, fine. But the funny part was the way the PR outfit backtracked from the original release. Rarely has Mag Bag witnessed such a hasty retreat. "This has been completely misconstrued," said a spokeswoman for the firm. "There is no distribution deal. There is no story. I know how bad this looks, but it's really not a big deal." No, not big. Just weird.

Reading, Writing, And, Well, Reading And Writing

Mag Bag didn't know it was possible for a trade association to adopt a whole school, but the Magazine Publishers of America have proved us wrong. The association has formed a partnership with A. Philip Randolph (APR) Campus High School at City College in New York, which involves a multi-layered commitment between the magazine industry and the school. For its part, the industry will provide mentoring and support, while the school will implement a production program for both printed and digital magazines. Magazine pros from the likes of Teen People, Reader's Digest, and Country Living, among others, have signed on to participate. Very cool, and kudos to the MPA.

The New Networking: In God We Must

They say doctors all stick together, but can the same be said of Christians in the business world? Maybe, according to an article in the February issue of FSB: Fortune Small Business. Writer Richard McGill Murphy reports that Christian business owners are banding together for mutual support while they seek to express their faith through their companies. Not only that, but there has also been a trend toward the use of Christian business directories--kind of a Yellow Pages for God, apparently--that list companies seeking customers who are fellow believers. So far, there are an estimated 200 such directories published in the United States.

New York Publisher Larry Burstein says the magazine's newly revamped Web site will soon add breaking news capabilities as well as blogs. This follows a redesigned site that increased search functions, among other new bells and whistles.

Jane VP-Publisher Carlos Lamadrid has high hopes for the revamped March issue of his magazine, the first one to fully reflect the influence of new editor Brandon Holley, who took over from founding editor Jane Pratt last summer. Check it out. The cover alone is indicative of a fresh, updated, and modern look that makes previous covers look antiquated. The graphics are sharp, the photo of Kate Beckinsale is fun, and the mix of cover line typefaces is fabulous. Kudos and good luck to Holley and design director Paul Ritter.