Her style has changed little over the years, but controversy continues to follow Bonnie Fuller wherever she goes. People simply never stop talking about her or her magazines. Since Fuller moved to American Media from Jann Wenner’s Us Weekly two years ago this month, celebrity magazines have proliferated like rabbits. Star magazine has become more upscale, the National Enquirer has undergone a redesign, and Fuller launched Celebrity Living in late April. Her instinct for making celebrity-driven gossip rags into successes is revered in the industry, but that hasn’t kept Fuller safe from criticism. Recently, Fuller made headlines for Star’s composite cover of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, which made the movie stars appear to be walking on the same beach when, in fact, they weren’t. Critics said the photo was misleading, but Fuller stands by her decision. Media Life asked Fuller about the cover controversy, her magazines and American Media’s plans for the future.

There was quite a flap in the media over Star’s composite cover photo of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Why did Star go with the composite? Do readers care if they see the "real" pictures or do any pictures do the trick at the newsstand?

   Star went with the composite, which we fully informed our readers about, because it was the best photo to illustrate the story we were reporting. 
   We also didn't believe we needed to spend the kind of money one of our competitors did to buy a story when we had such strong reporting on. Selecting the composite was never intended to "trick" anyone, especially since we mentioned twice in the issue that we were using a composite photos. Rather, we thought the photo perfectly illustrated the story. Period.

AMI has grown quite a bit in the last few years, especially with the purchase of Weider Publications. Are more acquisitions and launches in the works?

    One of the things I enjoy most about working for American Media and David Pecker is that we are very much in growth mode.


Until Celebrity Living, AMI has steered clear of traditional women’s service editorial. Why is it the right time for a celebrity shelter title?

    We've seen the newsstand landscape change dramatically and expand at this lower price point. We know readers want the kind of news which Celebrity Living delivers, lots of celebrity- inspired fashion, beauty, diet, fitness and home information. 
   But Celebrity Living isn’t a “shelter” magazine. It’s much more broad than that. There was nothing like this on the market, and it made perfect sense to launch it now.


The market for weekly celebrity magazines is booming. Will celebrity magazines eventually go the way of the lads and lose steam, or do you think today’s celebrity magazines are trend-proof?

    The expansion of this category, which really didn't exist beyond People and Us until a few years ago, demonstrates there is an insatiable curiosity and passion for celebrity news amongst today's public. 
   As there will always be celebrities and a public who adores them, so too with the reader's appetite for celebrity magazines like Star. Also, there’s a major difference between celebrity newsweeklies and the lads magazines, and that’s news.
    This category has it, so there is a multitude of fresh material to read about constantly; you couldn’t say that for the lads books.


Do you think there’s room for more celebrity weeklies on the newsstand or has the market reached its saturation point?

   There is always room for good magazines.


Under your watch, Star, by many accounts, has become a much funnier read. Why has humor been part of your editorial strategy?

It helps humanize the stars we report on. It is also what our readers come to Star for each week. They love to be entertained.


In a Q&A with Media Life in February 2002, you said, "I think that it’s important whenever you do a magazine to really think hard about who the readers are and why they’re buying the magazine and what it is you’re trying to communicate." Who are Star’s readers, why are they buying the magazine and what are you trying to communicate to them?

    Since we went glossy last year, Star's 9 million readers are primarily women, median age 37, with a median income of $47,271. They buy Star each week because, as active women, they crave the way we bring celebrity news, beauty and fashion to them--quick, informative and most of all, its sense of fun.


What is your strategy to continue to grow the National Enquirer’s circulation?

    Paul Field, its editor in chief, David Pecker and I feel the best way to grow the National Enquirer's circulation is to do exactly what we are doing – giving it a brighter, bolder and better design, and a focus on strong and aggressive reporting, the kind of reporting that enabled it to break stories like the O.J. Simpson shoe.
    The Enquirer’s reporting led to the capture of the man who murdered Bill Cosby’s son. It broke the story of Rush Limbaugh’s drug addiction in this past year. Action also forms the cornerstone of getting the Enquirer to the top of the newsstand.

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