Horchowgate: Vanity Fair Speaks

Vanity Fair spokesperson Beth Kseniak called me back with a statement about Sally Horchow’s self-promotion disguised as journalism in last month’s issue. She told me that when Fanfair editor Punch Hutton assigned Horchow the piece about the Proscenium Club, she was aware only that Horchow was a member of the club. During the editing process, it came to light that Horchow was in fact one of the club’s co-founders. Said Kseniak, “in retrospect, we wish we had disclosed it.”

It’s not clear to me why Vanity Fair thinks it’s okay for a journalist to write an article about a social club he or she belongs to–which was, according to Kseniak, known by Hutton when the piece was pitched and assigned–but that it’s not okay if said journalist co-founded the club. Where’s the conflict-of-interest tipping point?

Nonetheless, I suppose I will un-cancel my subscription.

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