Any thought that fashion bible W could be on death's door have been put asunder. After having about as rough a year in terms of ad revenue last year as any other Conde title last year, the glossy title nw appears to have a new lease on life. Conde Nast announced this morning that they plan to move the title out of the Fairchild Fashion Group and under the supervision of Conde Editorial Director Tom Wallace. (Both Conde Nast and Fairchild are a part of Advance.) The press release below: (more...)

If you spent the weekend caught up in tsunami or hockey fever, you may have missed the story in Golf Digest about Tiger Woods' seclusion following the revelation of his affairs. In the article, written by Jaime Diaz, the golf pro allegedly received phone calls of support from both former president Bill Clinton (which almost makes sense...) and our President Barack Obama. Except at least half of that never happened. (more...)

Political satire blog Wonkette is making its mark on magazine giant Conde Nast. Two Wonkette alums separately announced today that they are joining magazines within the Conde Nast family. Original Wonketteer Ana Marie Cox, who has also worked for Time and the now-defunct Air America Radio, became the newest addition to the GQ staff earlier today as a Washington correspondent, where she will be contributing features to the print edition as well as daily pieces on GQ.com. In a separate announcement, former Wonkette intern and current editor Juli Weiner thanked readers for their support there and directed them to the Vanity Fair blog VF Daily, where she will begin writing on Monday.

For such a mainstream print media association, acquiring talents developed at the shamelessly vulgar, hilariously quirky self-described "friendly little warblog" is a bold step to take, even if the simultaneous hirings were unintentional. While Cox has overshadowed her role as the blog's founder with many other distinguished lines on her resume and Weiner will be tempted to stray from her political pedigree at a cultural institution like Vanity Fair, both writers are direct products of a new medium that has directly caused a great number of headaches at newspapers and magazines. That their training ground was on the freewheeling extreme of the already irreverent blogophere goes beyond a statement: it's a commitment to keep one foot in the murkier waters of the political world and attracting a new audience to talent bred online, possibly hoping the favor will be reciprocated. Welcoming Cox to GQ was of particular political signficance, as Michael Calderone explains at Politico. It is a sign the magazine would like a greater voice in the political media community, and "looks like a way for the magazine to maintain more of a daily presence in the capital."

The influx of bloggers into the print world their existence threatens to destroy is a good sign for the latter, and an olive branch to the former indicating that perhaps there can be some form of peaceful coexistence. Conde Nast has nothing to lose from the merger, and blogs like Wonkette are becoming, in their own way, polished and seasoned institutions that can be trusted to produce "Conde Nast-level" talent.

I saw the Sport Illustrated demo video long before the iPad was  released. It was everything the iPad should have been on Day One. A mind blowing demonstration of what the future of the magazine could be.

The problem is, the iPad cannot currently do what the demo presents, and it should, right now. Flash is the only current technology that would make that possible. (more...)

Keith Kelly reports in today's New York Post that Conde Nast has set up a fraud hotline to let staffers snitch on fellow employees.

Last fall, a hacker broke into Conde Nast's computer system, flinging early copies of GQ, Vogue and other publications all over the Internet. To prevent further breaches of trust and budget, Conde set up the Fraud Reporting Hotline.

According to the memo sent by Chief Financial Officer John Bellando, employees are encouraged to turn in anyone guilty of "release of proprietary information, accounting/audit irregularities, falsification of company records, theft of goods/services/cash," and "unauthorized discounts/payoffs."

Publishers have been hit hard by this this perfect storm of ad recession combined with digital revolution, and Conde Nast is no exception. So -- this is a very smart move.  But you have to admit: it sounds a little like a twisted psych experiment, the stuff of horror films and Lost.* All I can say is don't piss off  the smoke monster. Or Anna Wintour.

*We're gonna need some answers, Lost producers.

In the lead-up to the release of the Apple Tablet, publishers like Condé Nast have somewhat tepidly ventured out on their own into the digital marketplace. Both the December and January issues of GQ were released as iPhone apps, becoming the first title to supply digital versions that count toward circulation numbers. Now, Condé Nast has released the first batch of stats and claimed success, but the numbers seem small. Is there hope? (more...)

As reported in Folio, the Publishers Information Bureau released its year-end magazine advertising report on Tuesday, backing up our suspicions that print is still indeed on the decline. In a surprise twist, boating publications were among the hardest hit with 50-60% losses in ad pages. With big-name players folding left and right over the past 12 or so months - Conde Nast's Gourmet, Cookie, Portfolio, Men's Vogue, Domino and two bridal mags, PC Magazine, RADAR, Vibe, Blender and especially Playgirl, to name a few - plenty of mags have taken the hint, bulking up their web presence and lessening their reliance on ad page sales. Some have even gone as far as (wait for it...) charging viewers to access print content online. While the publications industry is still suffering, some did post gains in the last year. Time Inc.'s People Style Watch is up 25%, as well as Bonnier's wide-reaching foodie mag Saveur (up 12.6%) and Meredith's Family Circle (up 11.5%). Though these successes don't indicate the decline has bottomed out, Magazine Publishers of America's Ellen Oppenheim said that ad sales showed improvement during this year's last quarter compared to 2008. The good news: Full-time unpaid internships are definitely still available.

audio It's been three months since Conde Nast announced it was shuttering the much-beloved Gourmet and it's probably safe to say that both fans and foodies alike are still reeling somewhat from the decision. Equally beloved Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl (if you're not following her on Twitter you're missing out) guested on NPR's Leonard Lopate show yesterday to talk about Gourmet's demise, the immediate aftermath (they had to be out of the office almost immediately), and what the future looks like. She also discusses her initial reaction to David Foster Wallace's famous 'Consider the Lobster' essay (she was scared to open her mail). All things considered, Reichl sounds rather sanguine about the decision and still supportive of Conde Nast's other projects. Also, rest assured Gourmet's collection of cookbooks covering the last 70 years, remains intact. (more...)

If ever a man's career accurately encapsulated the big media landscape of today, Richard "Mad Dog" Beckman's would be it. After serving Si Newhouse and Condé Nast for 24 years, the New York Post is reporting that Beckman will leave his position as CEO of Condé's Fairchild Fashion Group to become CEO of e5 Global Media, a new trade publication company. (more...)

Condé Nast is considering new and different ways to monetize their "most iconic brands," John Koblin reports in today's New York Observer. He even quotes a Condé Nast insider, who reportedly sniffed "do we need Vogue handbags? Gourmet kitchen mitts?" Well, no -- though mostly because Gourmet is no longer an "iconic brand" at Condé. (more...)

and the winner is...

With print's business model eroding, how can journalists make the move online without sacrificing quality or originality? It's a question that's likely to dominate j-school discussions for some time to come -- and there are plenty of grown-ups who haven't yet found the answer.

Fortunately, some have. Last week, we ran a poll of some of the contenders for Top Site of 2009: Politico topped our editorial list. Find out why, and see the runner-up and the winner of the poll, after the jump:

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Twitter, for better or worse, seemed to define 2009. It was in 2009 people in the mainstream stopped seeing it as a ridiculous outlet for people who feel the need to share the mundane details of their day and began realizing it was the go-to source for breaking news and to tap straight into the minds of the news makers, news writers, news gatherers, and thought leaders. 2010 will be the year when we begin to consume media in a whole new way. It seems almost a foregone conclusion that Apple will release a device long lusted after by gadget geeks many are speculating will be called the iTablet. Conde Nast, Time magazine and others have already been working on how they will create content for this kind of device and they're prepared move forward even if Apple isn't. Convergence between web content and television has never been done quite right. Web video has matured to the point now where people are beginning to go to their laptops before their television to catch up on programs they missed. (more...)

breaking It's 2001 all over again. Details are sketchy, but a source who is on staff at a Condé Nast title tells Mediaite that the Times Square building has just been evacuated. Apparently elevators at the 4 Times Square were turned off, and all staffers at were forced to walk down up to 20 flights of stairs. Reports also claim that the NASDAQ building around the corner has also been evacuated. UPDATE: Nothing suspicious was found in the van! (more...)

Its sort of a perfect metaphor -- Condé Nast is having problems with their digital group and is seeking assistance from the titans of the digital age. However in this instance, they aren't looking for expertise in how to stay viable , they want datalogs from Google and AT&T. Keith Kelly reports in the NY Post Today , that Condé Nast has a hacker problem, and have filed subpoenas to get what they need. (more...)

The "Hulu for magazines" joint venture spearheaded by John Squires officially has a name: Next Issue Media. According to Folio, the partnership has some real heavyweights behind it: Time Inc., Meredith, Hearst, Condé Nast and News Corporation. All of which represent some serious old media muscle, but will they be able to compete in the digital marketplace? (more...)

There have been whispers in the publishing world for months now about a group solution to the print problem, in which all of the big dogs -- including Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith and Time Inc. -- would come together to offer competitive marketplace solutions to widespread magazine woes. First, there was the leaked Time Inc. memos that considered a publishers partnership to compete with Amazon's Kindle, followed by an Observer piece floating even more details of the mag world Voltron. (more...)

Some of the biggest rivals in magazine publishing are close to a deal that would combine their forces in an effort to resuscitate a dying print industry. Titans of the media world -- including Condé Nast, Heart and Time Inc. -- are working to form an alliance that would recreate magazines for a digital age, in a plan that includes new mobile iterations sold in an iTunes-like store, as well as print magazines, according a report in The Observer. It's like a publisher's version of Voltron. (more...)

This weekend's New York Times feature about Bloomberg L.P., the "28-year-old media and technology company" started by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg in 1981, reads like anachronistic peek into the bygone days of media, packed with equal parts success and hubris, looking both to history and to the future. (more...)

The headline in today's "Media Ink" column: "Condé Nast hires crisis intervention expert" My reaction: Are you freaking KIDDING me? (more...)

Last month brought the news that struggling publisher Condé Nast would be closing a few of its titles altogether, including the much-loved Gourmet. To mark the end of the food mag's life, associate art director Kevin DeMaria decided to document the dour proceedings, turning the closing into a memorial ceremony of sorts, which he dubbed The Last Days of Gourmet.

rumor mill File this in the party, chit chat, rumor mill, category. According to a source, a Conde Nast editor at the Valentino fete the other night was telling party goers that Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter -- who has apparently returned from his trip to Bermuda -- is offering laid-off Vanity Fair staffers jobs at his Monkey Bar restaurant. Um, a way to cushion the blow? They are always packed. If you happen have been on the receiving end of such an offer we'd love to hear from you: tips@mediaite.com

So it's Halloween, and you don't have a costume. You were going to be Kanye West, but the friend you were counting on to be your Taylor Swift got swine flu at the last minute. Then, it was going to be Sarah Palin, until you remembered that that's what you were last year. Then, you were going to dress up as Balloon Boy, but you realized that all of your friends, neighbors, and extended family members were planning to as well. What to do?

Fortunately, Mediaite has come up with some costume suggestions for you. Pulled straight from the headlines, these are guaranteed to be hits:

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One supposes that at the end of the day someone should be benefiting from the shuttering-heard-round-the-food-world that was the folding of Gourmet earlier this month. Turns out that someone is the other (arguably less passionately loved) Condé foodie magazine Bon Appetit. This from today's WWD:

When Gourmet closed, its readers received sister publication Bon Appétit to fulfill what was left of their Gourmet subscriptions. In January, Bon Appétit will use that sub file to help boost its rate base 15 percent, to 1.5 million from 1.3 million. The increase still puts it behind its more mass competitors Cooking Light, which has a rate base of 1.75 million, and Every Day With Rachael Ray, which carries a 1.7 million circulation guarantee.

Wired editor Chris Anderson will not sit idly by while Gawker equates him with Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter. With budget cuts and layoffs hitting most titles in the Condé Nast universe, Gawker has reported that both Carter and Anderson -- two of the publishing giant's marquee names -- were too busy helping themselves to be present in the office on the days the guillotine fell. Carter was purportedly on a private jet to Bermuda, while the Wired editor-in-chief was "elivering a no doubt gainful lecture for Hewlett Packard in Silicon Valley." (more...)

There are so many things wrong with the way Conde Nast does business that this Graydon Carter anecdote (from Keith Kelly, no less!) merely feels like icing on a deflated cake. As if the McKinsey evaluation uncertainty that's been hanging over 4 Times Sq. these past few months isn't bad enough, Vanity Fair honcho Graydon Carter apparently couldn't even be bothered to show up to relay yesterday's bad layoff news himself. (more...)

The business woes at Condé Nast have been well-documented and it's not a pretty sight. With layoffs coming across the board, only the top brass and The New Yorker seem safe after decades of unmitigated reign in yesterday's publishing model. Now, the reality has hit hard and it's clear -- Condé failed to foresee the innovations and frugal maneuvering that would become necessity amid an economic downturn and a publishing shift toward the cheaper, faster web. Well, now they've woken up, but digital media has proved to be a shrill alarm. (more...)

Regardless of the practical money decisions that went into the shuttering of Gourmet earlier this month the loss of Ruth Reichl is a hard blow to the magazine world. Someone quick give this woman a Web enterprise to run! Doesn't Eater need a super-duper, extra-special, featured, guest columnist or something. (more...)

Nobody is safe from the lay-offs at Condé Nast. Not even members of the Advance Publications royal family. Not even Newhouses. (more...)

Perhaps the most interesting observation to come out of yesterday's Magazine Innovation Summit was not Gawker head Nick Denton's revelation that "At meetings at Gawker, we quite shamelessly rip off things that magazines do well...We don't sit around dissecting the New York Times." Or that Gawker's habit of posting headlines first and filling in the story later is all part of "stumbling toward the truth...We aim to be accurate over the long term." Nope! Regular readers of the site are probably all familiar with these habits/editorial mandates. More interesting was Slate.com chairman Jacob Weisberg's keen remark that Gawker "is now faced with the challenge of not morphing into the sort of journalism it often likes to ridicule." Which is true, sort of. (more...)

breaking Yesterday, Mediaite broke the news that layoffs at Vogue were coming. Peter Kafka at All Things D later reported that at least six have been laid off (we had heard that seven were let go). Today we are hearing that another title will be letting staffers go, though its unclear at this point which magazine will be making the cuts. Update - its the Golf mags. (more...)

It has been widely reported that nearly every surviving title at Condé Nast has been tasked with cutting 25% of their overall budgets. We also know that the Editors-in-Chief at each title have been given the leeway to make the cuts as they see fit, on their own schedule. The timing of these cuts has been closely guarded until now, and it remains unclear when cuts will come for each title. UPDATE - All Things D reports that at least six have been laid off. (more...)

At some point the New York daily tabloids are going to become a luxury instead of a necessity. That day has apparently arrived at the New York Times Metro Desk. The Observer is reporting that the Metro Desk has been informed that as of today all magazine and newspaper subscriptions have been canceled, meaning if you want the paper you now gots to pay for it. (more...)

The Monday morning Gourmet quarterbacking continues a full week after Condé Nast decided to shutter the much-loved foodie mag along with three others. Now that the initial dust has settled from the first round and the much of the magazine world is waiting for the second shoe to drop, a number of folks are taking a peak behind the curtain at the wizard himself. It ain't pretty. (more...)

Now would be a good time for the folks at Condé Nast to make a brave and convincing foray into the online world, right? And so they have — well, it's brave at least — with the launch of a new dating site trulymadlydating.com. (more...)

Newsweek is the latest media outlet to exploit that hot emotional trend known as "Condéfreude" -- you know, the satisfaction or pleasure felt at Conde Nast's misfortune? One expects this sort of coverage from guilty pleasure sites like Gawker and Jezebel, but Newsweek? Really? Need anyone remind the editorial staff at the struggling weekly that they themselves reported first quarter losses this year of over $20 Million? (more...)

Gourmet is not going quietly into that good night. When Condé Nast shuttered Domino last year there was a audible outcry from some corners but nothing compared to the expressions of shock and dismay that have followed the demise of Gourmet this past Monday. Condé is hitting people where it really hurts: they have closed the New Yorker of food magazines! After years of being the sacred cow of the magazine world, Condé, it seems, has is one fell swoop demonstrated actually nothing is sacred. (more...)

Famed fashion photographer, Irving Penn, died today at the age of 92 at his home in Manhattan. A much valued contributing photographer at Vogue, Penn quickly became a tastemaker. His ability to portray fashion with clarity landed 150 of his photographs on the fashion bible's cover and a lengthy, 40 year, esteemed stay at the publication. (more...)

Devoted fans of Gourmet were shocked and heartbroken over Monday's announcement that Condé Nast would be shuttering the magazine effective immediately (and we do mean immediately! Employees had to clear the office by the end of the day). They weren't the only ones. A quick glance at Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl's recent twitters drive home how much of a painful surprise the decision was to both her and her staff. (more...)

It's hard to ignore reality when it's punching you in the face. At least we have to assume that the approximately 180 Condé Nast employees who got laid off earlier this week when the company decided to fold four magazines feel like they've been punched in the face. The reality part, in the case of the rest of Condé Nast, of course means the Internet, which the company has woefully and rather spectacularly ignored to its great peril these last ten years. Whether the powers that be have been forced to do a similar reality check remains to be seen, but all signs point to not looking good. (more...)

video Perhaps McKinsey should have hired Jon Stewart to do their Condé Nast evaluating! On the Daily Show last night Stewart expressed dismay over all the people who'd lost their jobs during this week's Condé shutterings, and then pondered (as many have done before him) why multiple bride magazines were necessary in the first place. Stewart however has an alternate solution to closing the magazines altogether: marry them! It makes for some interesting results. (more...)