Selling it.(misleading ads, labels)(Humor)(Column)

Newsweek 'adverzine'?

We've seen magazines with ads from myriad companies, in which it's unlikely that one advertiser could influence all the editorial content. We've seen magazines with an "advertorial," a chunk of pages in which ads and articles are labeled "Special Advertising Section," admitting up front that they're related. But what are we to make of a recent issue of Newsweek, all 88 pages sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a lobbyist for big U.S. drugmakers? Newsweek's editor-in-chief, Richard M. Smith, pronounced the magazine "pleased" that PhRMA chose to be the sole sponsor. He added, "As I trust Newsweek readers would expect, the advertiser had no influence over the editorial content of the issue."

Still, we wonder why the issue had no articles critical of the drug industry or drug costs. And we question why Newsweek allowed the president of PhRMA to promote the special issue--and PhRMA's web site--by sending copies to congressional aides who deal with health-related legislation. Among others questioning was Kate Spaziani, a health legislative aide in the office of Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark. "Even if every article wasn't directed at buying pharmaceuticals, you're still flipping the page and noticing ads advocating medicine," she said. "Good health is being associated with pharmaceutical use."

What a racquet!

Last August, a hapless tennis fan dialed 1-866-OPENTIX, a Ticketmaster phone number, to buy three $28 tickets for the U.S. Open. The task proved about as easy as returning Lleyton Hewitt's serve. While on hold, our fan had to listen to two recorded solicitations urging her to use an American Express card and thereby enter a sweepstakes. Then came the voice of a real person, who noted that there would be a fee of $3 for the ticket purchase plus another fee of $5.75 per ticket. The name for this add-on? "Convenience charge." ...