MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 19, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- USA Today, the nation's top-selling print newspaper, announces the availability of A Royal Wedding, a 100-page glossy publication, commemorating the engagement of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Retailing for $7.99, A Royal Wedding is available at newsstands nationally and online at royalwedding.usatoday.com.Commemorate the biggest event in the royal family in years with this special keepsake edition. Full of gorgeous photos of the couple and all the background on their eight-year courtship, A Royal Wedding also looks back, remembering the wedding of Charles and Diana. Own a piece of royal history and be ahead of the curve on the wedding of the year.
This publication includes:
- Timeline of William and Kate's royal romance
- Three of the hottest fashion designers sketch dress ideas for Kate
- Family tree of the British royals
- Special look back at Charles and Diana's wedding
- Kate's style evolution through the years
As we know, Charles and Diana's wedding had such a fairy-tale ending.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who are confused, "content rings" are the names given to groups of reporters who gather news by subject. This is under the paper's ongoing reorganization.
ReplyDeleteGood lord. I wanna cry. But I think I'll just go drive the porcelain bus instead.
ReplyDeleteGath
And just what is wrong with this, Jim? Why do you feel the need to make fun of this? Are you going to mock the same type of magazines being published by People, New York Times or the Journal Weekend?
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously running out of things to unleash your continuing anger at USA Today.
Those that can, do. Those that can't, blog.
I'm not Jim, but I've got an answer for you 2:30 PM.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely nothing is wrong with this-----yet!
Meanwhile the ad running underneath the banner: Vote for your favorite movie star under 25! *cough*hypocrite*cough*
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with this is that we are not a monarchy and fought a war not to have anything further to do with this monarchy. Some people in this country have pretension to having been born to a social class higher than the rest of us. I do not want to encourage this in any way, and that includes tugging on my forelocks before royals, or paying any attention to this event.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about this in terms of what 3:15 PM said.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought it was a sweet idea, pumping up a love story. But, come on. There was no special section for Clinton or the Bush kid who got married.
I wish USAT would stick with telling storie that help make American informed voters.
Not sure about a royal wedding publication, but I do know that USAT management enjoys a royal reaming of its employees whenever it gets a chance in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI wish the brand would abandoned all efforts to be a mainstream newspaper and just become whatever it thinks it has to in order to make money. Whether that's a digital wonderland for 18-year-olds with the attention span of an ant or an overpriced celebrity rag for lonely housewives, make up your mind already. You're not a serious news publication. Your boomer articles the other day were another transparent attempt to suck up to an audience that surveys now say newspapers shouldn't abandon. This coming from a newspaper that apparently lays off baby boomers at a frightening rate. Hypocrites.
It seems USAT doesn't do or publish anything if it doesn't think it's sexy or can earn a buck. That strategy creates a void for many readers who are looking for stronger journalism in these troubling times.
USAT, you can't do it all, especially with a shrinking staff. My advice: Pick one or two things you think you have the horses to produce and forget about trying to be all things to all consumers of media. You've spread yourself so thin that you don't do anything well anymore.
With this publication, the stench of desperation is overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteNo, that's the smell of a royalty vertical coming.
ReplyDeleteMost of us remember the horrible headlines the tabloids spewed about Princess Di dating an Egyptian Arab, mixing the royal bloodlines with outside cultures. The racist gossip was vicious in the UK. In a twist of irony decades later after her tragic death, Britain's most popular name for baby boys in 2010 is Mohammed (Olivia for baby girls).
ReplyDeleteThis publication certainly can have nothing to do with protecting the First Amendment, which is one of the goals of this company. Let me remind you that this is a monarchy that regularly stiffs the press and wants reporters to take its press releases unquestioned. The late Diana proved herself more agile in handling the press, and got incredible coverage and support as a result.
ReplyDeleteThis is not desperate, it's smart. Leverage content assets and expose the brand to new audiences in a new package/presentation. And, publications like this are not new to usat. They've been doing it for over a year and it's profitable. https://store.nexternal.com/usatoday/storefront/usa-today-other-publications-c1030.aspx
ReplyDeleteIt's what smart media companies do. So, naysayers, get over it!
I have no problem with USAT leveraging a hot media story into some marketable crap. That's what they attempted to do with the Michael Jackson story when he died. The problem is what a reader suggested earlier - USAT management is trying to do everything with little strategic thinking about how well they need to execute something. That's why we had the debacle regarding the Health vertical a couple weeks ago. You can make all the overpaid hires you want to, but even if there hadn't been a sourcing issue, the content is crap. No accountability here. The transformation, likewise, has been disasterous. The musical chair shuffling is a joke. Several former MEs and DMEs are walking around with nothing to do and nobody reporting to them. If it wasn't for the oh-so-important editor meetings, they'd have nothing to justify their existence. Where is the accountablity? Where are the ideas? Where are the innovative ideas and a cohesive plan to implement them? How long will management stay in a bunker mentality? Who will hold the incompetents accountable?
ReplyDelete7:25. You need to get on board with the program. Keep your mouth shut, kiss some ass and do whatever you can to survive. That's the Gannett way. It definiteley is the USA Today way. It is pointless to raise any kind of concern, because dissenting and going against the flow is more frowned upon now than ever. They may not know what they are doing, but pity the fool who tries to define what it is they want. They don't know. And just smile at the brilliant new hires Hunke & Co. are bringing in or promoting, even though they have no regard for you as a journalist or a person. They are the future of this organization. At least until their half-baked ideas fail to draw advertisers.
ReplyDeleteThis is an incredibly dumb idea that I expect will be a huge loser. The only hope is that someone eventually will walk the plank for this crime.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually enjoying reading about the royal couple in little installments. It seems the story and courtshop is unfolding. Now, will I buy a commemorative edition of the royal couple. No way. Just give me the news (wedding plans, her background, reactions) as they're discovered. That's the kind of news I like. This is just a silly, greedy way for USAT to make some quick bucks.
ReplyDeleteWe have an extreme crisis of leadership at this company. Plain and simple.
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