Ad Age Apologizes For SpecificMEDIA Cover Wrap Debacle

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Following a MediaPost Real Media Riff's column that roasted Ad Age for an editorial cover wrap attached to 1,000 copies of the magazine distributed at ad:tech in early November, Ad Age's Rance Crain, today, offers up a mea culpa and apologizes for what MediaPost deemed a serious ad/edit line crosser. Apparently unbeknownst to the magazine's management, including Crain and Editor Scott Donaton, a last minute deal was struck between someone at Ad Age and a company called SpecificMEDIA to adhere a front page cover wrap that appeared to look like news content and distribute it at ad:tech. Crain writes David Klein, publishing and editorial director of the Ad Age Group, sent an email to the magazine's staff stating, among other things, the publications credibility had been damaged by the wrap. Crain also makes no excuses for misjudgment.

In a nod to an American Business Media "Editorial Integrity: Under Assault?" panel Crain moderated last week, he noted readers have increased protection from "overzealous advertisers" by blogs and other journalists who will call out moves such as this cover wrap debacle. It's encouraging that Ad Age chose to publicly deal with this issues as it could very easily have simply swept it under the rug and moved on. Welcome to the conversation, Ad Age.

by Steve Hall    Nov-21-05   Click to Comment   
Topic: Magazine, Opinion, Publishing   

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Comments



Comments

Congrats to Ad Age and Specific Media for a tastfully produced wrap ad. Increased top line revenues will trickle down to the x-mas bonus of all and a tip of the hat to ad sales team for delivering the shigitz ($) again.
Is it just me or do others read it mostly for the ads? editorial content the mortar that holds and spaces the ads (bricks). Super bowl is around the corner and believe me... i watch to see the ads... I read and converse with my buds during the actual game (contenet) and only look at screen when there is an uproar and then I watch the replay and the slow-mo replay and the multi-angle replay. But if it were not for the ads I would skip it. really.

Posted by: arthur on November 21, 2005 1:18 PM