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Two sides quit bickering and seek ways to navigate the new reality
What wall? The question for print has become less about whether to cross the boundary between editorial and sales and more about how best to do it. In the latest scene of church-and-state rapprochement, the new issue of Scholastic Parent & Child magazine has arrived with an ad page composed in collaboration with the magazine's editorial staff. The collaboration runs counter to publishing norms. Keeping editorial separate is meant to reinforce readers' trust, which in turn is supposed to make publications more valuable venues for advertising. A magazine industry group was dismayed. "Confusing editorial and advertising is a betrayal of the best interests of both readers and advertisers," said Sid Holt, CEO of the American Society of Magazine Editors. "Scholastic Parent & Child's defiance of industry norms is simply shameful." The magazine defended its integrity. Editor in Chief Nick Friedman said he participated partly because the product, Curél Itch Defense lotion, was sound. A very sugary drink wouldn't get the same treatment, he suggested. And when the magazine asked a panel of 2,500 readers about the ad before it ran, 92% called it informative and 97% said it wasn't confusing, according...