In a clear violation of the ASME (American Society of Magazine Editors) Guidelines, Condé Nast has asked their Editors to write advertorials for the magazines they edit:
Condé Nast caused a stir in the media world Monday when it announced plans for a new studio that will allow marketers to work directly with editors at its magazines to create “branded content,” ads designed to blend in with regular articles.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/write-ads-conde-nast-staff-is-wary-1422404937
ASME Editorial Guidelines state:
9. Don’t Ask Editors to Write Ads
Editorial staff should not participate in the creation of advertising. Editorial contributors should not participate in the creation of advertising if their work would appear to be a conflict of interest.
http://www.magazine.org/asme/editorial-guidelines
so
The Board of Directors reserves the right to expel from membership in ASME any editor of a print or online magazine who willfully or repeatedly violates the ASME Guidelines for Editors and Publishers.
http://www.magazine.org/asme/about-asme/asme-bylaws
The National Magazine Awards are tonight and they’re even giving renown photojournalist James Nachtwey an award for Creative Excellence. I wonder if ASME will stick up for editors and next year The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, W, Wired, GQ, Bon Appétit, Traveler and Details will not be allowed to participate? Challenging times for magazines for sure.
3 Comments
Why are we surprised, Condé Nast has been playing fast and loose with photographers rights and kowtowing to the advertisers for years. Their management has been dependent on the big houses of fashion and now the big houses fashion want to impose themselves on the magazine in an attempt to make the magazine look more like their advertisements. The big houses of fashion wish to shape the world in their own image.
I am not surprised by this at all. Years ago I remember when I was a member of the ASMP/LA Chapter, there was a problem with Condé Nast and their contracts with photographers.
Many consumer “enthusiast” books run advertorials all the time.
Along the same lines, there was a publisher of automotive enthusiast books that had a policy of never mentioning a brand/product that was not an advertiser.
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