CAPTAIN AMERICA #25: GETTING THE SCOOP

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/CapAmerica/DDream/CAPA025_dc_t.jpg" align="right"><i>by <a href=mailto:kevin.huxford@gmail.com>Kevin Huxford</a></i>

Much coverage has been given to the events of <b>Captain America #25</b>. It all started with the <i>New York Daily News</i>. Marvel had provided them with an exclusive on the story, with the coverage hinging on it being kept an exclusive prior to the release of the issue.

The man behind that exclusive coverage was Ethan Sacks, an entertainment columnist for the <b>New York Daily News</b> and apparent comic book fan. Now with the flood of reaction subsiding a bit, we felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan. He was happy to oblige our request, after making sure to meet some deadlines at the paper first.

<b>Newsarama:</b>The coverage of Cap’s death, after you and the <i>NY Daily News</i> broke the story, was fairly far-reaching. Was that something you were expecting?

<b>Ethan Sacks:</b> By about 2 pm on the day the story broke, I realized that Captain America’s death had snowballed to ridiculous proportions – certainly the biggest “pickup” of any story I’ve ever been a part of. In fact, one editor later told me that the story got more pickup – references from other media outlets – than even the incredible revelation that Rev. Al Sharpton’s ancestor may have been owned by Strom Thurmond’s family during the times of slavery! That’s made me the butt of a few jokes – so I leave my underoos at home now. I honestly believe there were three main reasons for the huge publicity: 1.) it was a relatively slow news day. 2.) That it came out in one paper first, then hit the AP wire, then hit Web sites, etc. – it made the other outlets feel like they needed to catch up and thus give it more play than it probably deserved. 3.) Because he is a well known character.

<b>NRAMA:</b> What are the sort of concerns you see at such a large paper when it comes to deciding what kind of coverage to give to a big development in what is seen by many as a niche entertainment medium?

<b>ES:</b> As a comic book fan for most of my life, I know that selling the paper on a comic book story, even the features section, is an uphill battle. Newspaper’s news holes are shrinking because of drops in circulation and “fluff” is the first thing to go. The vast majority of newspaper readers are as mainstream as you can get; they believe comic books are for kids, even though they run out eagerly to shell out $10 for the new <i>Spider-Man</i> or <i>Batman</i> movie. And the editors’ tastes reflect that. Once I a while they let me sneak a story in, but for the most part I use my online weekly column on the <i>Daily News</i> web site – it’s about comics, sci-fi, kung-fu, horror, anime and video games – to spread the word.

<b>NRAMA:</b> I’m guessing you may have received some reader e-mails just by your address being attached to the article. What sort of reaction have you personally seen?

<b>ES:</b> The vast majority of the emails I personally received, and there weren’t that many, were complaints: either that I spoiled the shocker for them or that they’ll never forgive Marvel. I got more emails from reporters/TV producers I know who congratulated me on the scoop than from actual readers.

<b>NRAMA:</b> Speaking of the scoop; there had to be a good level of coordination between you (the <i>NY Daily News</i>) and Marvel Entertainment. Approximately when would you say the exclusive was agreed upon?

<b>ES:</b> The exclusive was agreed on about two months ago. <i>The New York Post</i> – the <i>Daily News’</i> arch-rival (picture an Australian Galactus running a paper) – had an exclusive when Spider-Man unmasked in <b>Civil War #2</b> and I heard plenty about it from my editors. When I whined to Marvel that they should’ve kept me in the loop, too, they promised me a future exclusive when a story with mainstream interest would surface. So two months ago, I got a call from Marvel’s PR contact calling me into the Marvel Bullpen for a little powwow. They revealed the plans for Cap right then and there. The publisher wanted several conditions for us to get the exclusive: That we commit to most of a page up front and put a good-sized piece of art with it. It was a no-brainer for us, and my editor gave the green light later that afternoon. I didn’t even tell my wife.

<b>NRAMA:</b> I don’t know which to be more impressed with: the Murdoch/Galactus reference or holding the secret that tightly for a few months.

<b>ES:</b> To be honest, my wife probably wouldn’t have cared anyway. She thinks spending money on my daughter’s college fund would be a better use of resources than my weekly comic stack, but I digress. Seriously though, it was tough to keep the secret, especially from any co-workers who were especially interested in comic books. While nothing was told to me off the record, I did realize early on that an exclusive of this nature required it not to be leaked on our end to a message-board even inadvertently through an off-hand comment. I had a vested interest in keeping my mouth shut.

<b>NRAMA:</b> It sounds like only you and your editor knew about the story at the paper. Would that be accurate or were there other people that had to be brought into the process that far out from when it saw print? When did the list of people who knew at the paper start increasing, that is, layouts made, art selected, etc?

<b>ES:</b> I had to alert at least three editors to get permission for Marvel’s list of requirements, but that circle didn’t spread until a few days before the spread. Being a daily paper, they didn’t even think about the layout until Monday - the paper came out Wednesday.

<b>NRAMA:</b> With about two months of lead time, how long did you actually take to put this story together? Were there any angles you wanted to cover or individuals you wanted to get reaction from that you just weren't able to?

<b>ES:</b> While I had an enormous lead time, to be honest, I wrote the story a couple of days before. I had done the interviews with <b>Quesada, Simon, Brubaker and a comic book store owner</b> over the previous two weeks. I probably spent no more than two hours total – not counting transcribing the interviews – because our special constraints as a tabloid don’t give much room for prose. Besides, this really is a story that tells itself. But God, I wish I had more space to talk about <b>Civil War</b>, the legacy, throw in a good quote from Quesada, etc. Color art would’ve been nice, too.

<b>NRAMA:</b> Maybe you can do a Director’s Cut version of the coverage on <a href=“http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/col/unmasked/index.html”>your NY Daily news online column.</a>

On a personal level, what did you think of the news? Did you see it as a political statement? An indication of where we are as a nation? Just a fictional death in the funny books?

<b>ES:</b> What do I think of the news? I’m a cynical bastard, so I know Steve Rogers will be back, though probably not before someone else picks up the shield and chucks it around for a bit. Nobody stays dead for long in comics, which really dilutes the plot device. With all the publicity, though, Marvel can’t exactly bring him back right away, though. Symbolically, obviously because of the star-spangled costume and the Civil War mini-series this will give a lot of fodder to pundits on both sides. But it’s really, in my opinion, just as much a marketing ploy as anything else. The important thing is Brubaker is good at his job and the story is a great read. I just hope the comeback will be handled as gracefully.

[nickmaynard]

i am in 100% support of more features like this.

[Bugaboo-X]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

[HomoSuperior]

Stories like this are good....as the mainstream embraces comics, we should also embrace fans who don't devote their lives to message boards. It's a two-way street, that if navigated correctly, could reap serious rewards for comics without, i think, undermining its 'purity' of geekdom at the hands of 'the man'.


...or something.

[kingofcities]

Great interview Khux. :)

[MattBrady]

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself. Because no one has ever interviewed Bob Woodward :) ...not that Cap's death was Watergate, but it was the biggest major media story related to comics in years.

MattB

[STL]

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

[khuxford]

Great interview Khux. :)

Thank you, sir. :D

[kalabro]

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.


They didn't believe that killing Captain frakkin America would be a "big story." Oh, come. ON. When CNN or some other "news" outlet is doing a story on Civil War, to not expect that one of the major developments of that storyline wouldn't receive moderate news coverage is utterly disingenuous.

[si, rodrigo]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

You could also, you know....NOT read the article? you don't have to complain about everything.

[Rebis]

It was the biggest major media story related to comics in years.

MattB


To Matt and Kevin:

Well done. I suppose this "death" has been overplayed in the mainstream media — we've probably all read accounts by journalists who don't typically cover comics and get the facts wrong — but that doesn't mean you at Newsarama shouldn't be covering the hell out of it.

Furthermore, I think this type of feature, this peering into Sacks' exclusive, is interesting in the same way that any sort of behind-the-scenes feature is interesting. I'm always curious to know what goes on backstage at a concert or theater, or how a director and his film team made a certain special effect happen, etc. You've given us a glimpse into a process that most of us don't know anything about, and that's always elucidating. (Except to the naysayers, but hey, they don't have to read this article.)

[Hurnslice]

Quality story, great Q & A.

It's such a crazy phenomenon when something like this happens. And the fact that it happened with a comic book amazes me and the fact that my Mom knew about it has to lend credence to it.

Very cool, Khux, talking to the source. Well done.

Did it just take a phone call, or is there more watergate to this story??? ;)

[McGuirk]

<b>NRAMA:</b> What are the sort of concerns you see at such a large paper when it comes to deciding what kind of coverage to give to a big development in what is seen by many as a niche entertainment medium?

<b>ES:</b> As a comic book fan for most of my life, I know that selling the paper on a comic book story, even the features section, is an uphill battle. Newspaper’s news holes are shrinking because of drops in circulation and “fluff” is the first thing to go. The vast majority of newspaper readers are as mainstream as you can get; they believe comic books are for kids, even though they run out eagerly to shell out $10 for the new <i>Spider-Man</i> or <i>Batman</i> movie. And the editors’ tastes reflect that. Once I a while they let me sneak a story in, but for the most part I use my online weekly column on the <i>Daily News</i> web site – it’s about comics, sci-fi, kung-fu, horror, anime and video games – to spread the word.
"Fluff" is one of the major reasons why my family dropped the Daily News last month. Way too much garbage in that paper, especially in the front part. At least keep that garbage in the back. Just like the advertorial portions, with press releases running as journalistic copy hyping whatever it is that's being sold that week.

Of course as I write this, I'm sitting in a newspaper office. :cool:

[NewChad]

Thanks for this article - a nice insight into how these stories break in the mainstream

[The Guvnor]

Nice article. Boy did Marvel take a huge gamble in letting him know about the death months beforehand.

[NielsVanEekelen]

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

They didn't think it wouldn't be big--they didn't think it would be this big, but they put effort into building up the story by controlling how it came out.

That could be seen as a positive thing, you know. I guess this was the one out of ten times that a publicity stunt worked--and it was a publicity stunt in support of a good story too, instead of the other way around.

[gwangung]

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

This betrays the typical fan naivity about how news and PR actually works. :mad:

You work your ass off and HOPE it gets noticed. 999 times out of a thousand, you do what Marvel did and it sinks without a trace, page 1 or no page 1. The one time it DOES get noticed, it's usually a mild furor that dies down within a week.

Marvel hit a gold mine---you ride the whirlwind for all its worth, thank your lucky stars and then get to work on the next project.

[gwangung]

They didn't think it wouldn't be big--they didn't think it would be this big, but they put effort into building up the story by controlling how it came out.

Truly. It wouldn't have been nearly this big if they didn't work on it.

[ANGELDOGGIE]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."
.....................................and YOU posted too.:D

[wakko379]

Bugaboo-X is just jealous Cap willed his shield to Steve Colbert. :D

[jedifish]

Actually, I found this more interesting than any of the articles with the people at Marvel. Good article.

[Kolimar]

Interesting interview, Khux. :)

[Dman]

i am in 100% support of more features like this.

agreed, and nice job

[shineman]

There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

As someone who works in marketing communications, I can say unequivocally that there was NEVER a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. Unless you mean that time when those good, engaging stories just weren't selling...

The role of marketing is to use the tools available to sell things, be they comic books, a brand, etc. In this case, that tool was the press, and the product (issue #25) and the brand (Captain America) was VERY well suited to promote Marvel's interests as a publisher. Quite frankly, I think the marketing was well done, if not more than a little transparent.

It's not often that you get the potential product sympathy like this that allows you to broaden public awareness of a product, so when you're in marketing, and you find it, you really run with it. The degree to which it spread was probably hoped for, but not expected.

All in all, I'd say it's a win for a well written story (great publicity for Brubaker), as well as Marvel, and the Captain America brand.

S.

[sniperboy65]

All I can say is what should Marvel do for an encore? I think they should kill Spider-Man off next!

[BornToRun]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

I agree and I disagree. While I feel like a story like this adds very little to public discourse or understanding of a topic (particularly the other fairly apt examples you cite), I feel like the reason they go to press isn't because the media is just lazy or bored. As a reporter, there's always that story I'm sitting on for a rainy day. No, I think the reason is that there's a demand for this kind of story on the part of people who just can't stop talking about it/can't get enough, and there hasn't been a lot of depth or analysis released from the Marvel folks yet because they're all still riding the wave and towing the company line.

[mrpunch0]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

As a journalist and a comics fan I was really interested in this piece.
It's not fair to compare this to something as stupid as the Anna Nicole Smith hype machine. This was a legit story.

It's not like it's a story about what kind of sandwich Joe Q was eating when they made the plans to kill Cap.






I bet it was turkey on rye.

[Captain Brit]

They've done that already - Ah, Poor Ben Riley! What a guy.

[Kolimar]

I honestly believe there were three main reasons for the huge publicity: 1.) it was a relatively slow news day. 2.) That it came out in one paper first, then hit the AP wire, then hit Web sites, etc. – it made the other outlets feel like they needed to catch up and thus give it more play than it probably deserved. 3.) Because he is a well known character.

I'd add:

3.5) Captain America is a pop culture icon that represents America and its ideals. A symbol of the best America has always offered: freedom, justice, etc. The concept, the name, the uniform, everything about Cap resonates with people. That's why I consider him a sort of equivalent of Superman in the collective imagination. When I found out about Cap's death, it immediately took me back over a decade ago to the Death of Superman. I know I'm not alone there. And Cap has a stronger connection with the government and the military which are usually in the eye of the storm and are always good to generate some kind of response from the nutcases like we've seen lately. :D :)

[Bugaboo-X]

re "The publisher wanted several conditions for us to get the exclusive: That we commit to most of a page up front and put a good-sized piece of art with it.":

Can't wait to share this with some of my friends in the industry.

When a source demands a certain page layout and minimum space in exchange for a news favor, we call that "buying a story." Because in the same situation, if Marvel had passed a few bucks across the table, it would have been an "advertisement."

[kalabro]

All I can say is what should Marvel do for an encore? I think they should kill Spider-Man off next!

And then they should kill off Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Grey, Hulk (with and without Banner), Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, Cable, Joseph (Magneto's clone), Bishop, Iceman, Nate Grey (X-Man), Quicksilver and Franklin Richards at the hands of a super-duper-powerful being...oh, wait.

[jedifish]

re "The publisher wanted several conditions for us to get the exclusive: That we commit to most of a page up front and put a good-sized piece of art with it.":

Can't wait to share this with some of my friends in the industry.

When a source demands a certain page layout and minimum space in exchange for a news favor, we call that "buying a story." Because in the same situation, if Marvel had passed a few bucks across the table, it would have been an "advertisement."

Interesting thought. I'd still consider it an exclusive though, but I'm not in the industry. I'm not familiar with the newspaper in question, but I imagine they have an online presence, and they would genererate revenue from the number of hits to the site for the exclusive?

[ZEBULON]

I'm just glad to see that marvel knows how to get the mainstream interested in comics the right way. The lipstick lesbian batwoman was not the way to go. I have people asking me about comics much more when marvel does something like the unmasking or the death of captain america now. I love the fact that with marvel you really never know whats going to happen next, and there are actual repercussions. They are moving forward into new territory rather then just rehashing old storylines over and over again. And lastly I can't wait until captain america is thawed out around 2013 to show future generations what america is supposed to be.

[coy_dog0]

He's already back, according to Ms. Marvel. Oh, heck, just check out this podcast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc3jeTTsmqM

[MattBrady]

He's already back, according to Ms. Marvel. Oh, heck, just check out this podcast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc3jeTTsmqM Er - old, <i>old</i> news at this point. Read this week's <b>New Avengers #28</b> - it's all explained.

MattB

[Gridironham]

I love it!
A news story on how a news story is made.
Brilliant!
Next week: Come back for an expose called "What Makes a Press Release So ImPressive and Releasable."
Along with a side-bar article "How Should A Press Release Be Sent? Snail-Mail or E-Mail? Word Document or HTML?"
:D
Dave

[MattBrady]

Next week: Come back for an expose called "What Makes a Press Release So ImPressive and Releasable."
Along with a side-bar article "How Should A Press Release Be Sent? Snail-Mail or E-Mail? Word Document or HTML?" I don't get it - why? That stuff is clear dog bites man...this...wasn't, as many have explained. Was what you were saying something like a joke?

MattB

[skullduggery]

All I can say is what should Marvel do for an encore? I think they should kill Spider-Man off next!

They just did that story.
It was called Spider-Man: The Other.

But he got better.

[steven_eks]

I'm still trying to figure out why people are crying foul over this piece. Anyone who cares about this medium and wants it to be around in 20 years should be happy that it saw this much mainstream airplay--in a country where everyone has an attention span of 4 seconds, like ours--a week seems like so much doesn't it. I mean we only endured a bajillion hours of "White Bronco footage" and "Neverland Ranch Trial Regalia"--so Cap gets some time, he gets a respectable amount of coverage--

I think it's funny that Sacks didn't get more applause from the part of the comic community that likes spoilers--WE exist--we still read the books anyway.

I think these kinds of "behind the scene" pieces should be more prevalent--it was published a week after the fact that the book hit--and Cap's death is a big deal. I mean seriously--we're going to be reading aftermath about it for another month--I don't hear any complaints about a John Cassaday drawn book dealing with aftermath--or maybe Marvel should cancel it since you guys are over all of this.

What do I know, right?
Steven Eks

[kidvictory]

Unfortunately, the one thing I don't see happening enough, if at all, is the story turning a non-fan into a fan. I here non-fans comment on it, but not intrigued enough to pick it up. Hopefully comics shops across America begin to notice new REGULAR faces popping in.

I think we need more and more coverage like this so that comic books start to slowly seep into the public consciousness and are portrayed as something other than the campy kiddie fare the Batman 60's TV show so solidified in the collective consciousness.

If we get minor stories about Spider-man unmasking, Cap dying, Civil War, etc . . .coupled with good movies based on comics, then slowly but surely comics will become a more acceptable art form and not the "kiddie" hobby so many non-fans perceive it as.

I also don't share the criticism of Marvel here. Marvel's job is to do what it can to raise awareness of both Marvel characters and comics in general. They've done it.

Now if they killed Captain America simply for the newsbyte, then the criticism could be valid. But I believe Joe Q. and all those interviewed that Cap's death was what they felt flowed naturally from this story and it was the right story choice. To then want to capitalize on that story with marketing and publicity is not just smart, but an obligation!

It also helps to have people in the media and entertainment field like Stephen Colbert that respect comics and will give it the extra mile of publicity when they can.

[MatthewTie]

re: this article and its timing

Day 1: Daily News article comes out.
Day 2: Gets picked up.
Day 3: Gets picked up more.
Day 4: Huxford decides to contact journalist.
Day 5: Huxford contacts journalist with questions.
Day 6: Gets responses and asks more questions.
Day 7: Writes article.
Day 8: Article waits for a chance to be published online
Day 9: Gets published and complaint is lodged about it being so long after the event.

Seems like a non-issue to me.

----------------

Re: marketing versus news

Seems like this was thinly veiled marketing, not news. It didn't get the space and prominence in the paper due to the importance of the story, it got it because that was a condition of the exclusive, and they simply wanted an exclusive. They didn't send out a press release and hope it would get picked up, they negotiated how it would be covered.

The saving grace, ethically, is that it doesn't seem like Marvel had any say in what was printed. It wasn't a press release reprinted (as many business announcements are). The journalist intreviewed people (including a comic store owner??? I wonder what those questions were if he didn't know about the event) and wrote an article from his own POV with his own spin. It could have ended up being an article that skewered Marvel for doing this, they were taking a chance. Sure, it woudl have meant no more exclusives, but then again, how often does a comic book exclusive sell papers?

--

Great investigative reporting Mr. Huxford. Unearthing the mystery of the exclusive.