On Thursday evening, I received an anonymous tip that implied a link between Anderson Cooper‘s upcoming interview with Angelina Jolie and People Magazine’s $4 million purchase of the coveted Jolie-Pitt baby photos. (CNN and People are both divisions of Time Warner.)
I ignored the message. But FTVLive didn’t. The site apparently received the same message, and published it almost verbatim this morning. The site referred to unknown and unidentified “insiders.”
Then this afternoon, Matt Drudge blasted this headline: “PITT/JOLIE/TIMEWARNER CHECKBOOK JOURNALISM EXTENDS TO CNN?” The Drudge report copied the original anonymous tip almost word for word.
Click continued for a comparison…
TVNewser tip, Thursday, 6pm (UNPUBLISHED):
“There’s loud chatter in the industry that the four million dollar deal People Magazine’s editor Larry Hackett cut with Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt for their baby pictures extended to CNN. It was a package deal done in conjunction with CNN, which is how Anderson Cooper secured the interview. It’s called checkbook journlaism.”
FTVLive report, Friday, 8:29am:
“Some industry insiders believe that the $4 million deal People Magazine cut with Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt for the first pictures of their daughter had some strings attached…Insiders say this was a “package deal” done in conjunction with CNN, which is how Anderson Cooper “secured” the first interview…”
Drudge report, Friday, 4:21pm:
“There’s loud chatter among industry insiders that the $4 million deal PEOPLE Mag’s editor Larry Hackett cut with Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt for their baby pictures extended to CNN, also part of the TIME WARNER family. Insiders say this was a “package deal” done in conjunction with CNN, which is how Anderson Cooper “secured” the first interview with Jolie [set to air next week.] News executives are scratching their heads over CNN practicing checkbook journalism.”