Publishers are trying to keep their printy goodness alive these days, in whatever ways they can. For magaziners that’s driven the sales and editorial realm ever closer together. Case in point, today ESPN is “guilty” of publishing ad content for Gatorade on their cover, including a line of print. Ha, ESPN doesn’t obey the laws of man, silly, silly ASME.
ESPN belongs to the the American Society of Magazine Editors, which says this kind of thing is a no-no. But for employees who want to keep their jobs, it’s a resounding hell yes. Well, that’s our guess.
A few other mags have done stuff like this, including Esquire, As One, Scholastic, and Parent & Child.
We’d like to point something out. Standards aren’t standards until something of value is sacrificed to maintain them. You know, like in the movies when the hero has to choose between the woman he loves and um, not letting the world blow up or whatever. But in those cases the jackass always finds a way to save both woman and world, and then gets laid. Somehow we don’t think ESPN is getting any nookie out of their deal, though they will get to print for another day. That’s gotta be worth something, ASME, so shove it!
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More: “Death of Print: How Standards Could Kill, Though They Aim to Save”