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Stolley's Laws: What sells

Man, have I gotten things wrong.

Reading this list of Stolley's Laws for what sells on magazine covers is an eye-opener. I can't believe I haven't discovered it before.

I seem to routinely violate these laws. We publish lots of stories about poor people and politics on the front page. Conversely, we don't publish many stories about movies or television there. The final two rules:

7. Anything is better than politics.

8. Northing is better than the celebrity dead.

Of course, I violated No. 8 most famously last week.

Well, that's got to change. So, young, pretty and rich it is! That, and dead celebrities.

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Tags: News judgment; Quirky

Posted by John Robinson on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 10:38 am

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Illiterati

September 2, 2009 - 5:48 pm EDT

Stolley's a man, so he missed the *real* #1 law of covers—well, at least cover lines: Pretty hair (and how to get it) is better than anything else. The N&R should maybe do an all-hair edition. Stolley's spot on otherwise.

tim tribbett

September 2, 2009 - 6:15 pm EDT

If that's true when Paris Hilton kicks the bucket you'll sell a million papers.Seriously,I already read entertainment weekly and can get that sort of stuff anywhere. (Entertainment weekly has really been slack on the Skip Alston news lately though.)

tim tribbett

September 2, 2009 - 6:18 pm EDT

I 'll tell you what I think people read first.The comics and sports. Maybe expand those sections and I bet that will improve circulation.

John Robinson

September 2, 2009 - 7:11 pm EDT

Sorry, Tim, but Stolley's Laws say no to sports. And in truth, the Sports section has 35 percent readership and the vast majority of that are men.

John Robinson

September 2, 2009 - 7:09 pm EDT

Coming Sunday: A startling piece on Julie Luck's luxurious hair and Skip Alston shorn pate; a day in the life of Chris Daughtry; and a remembrance of Elvis Presley.

Doug Johnson

September 3, 2009 - 6:25 pm EDT

Seems to me a conservative in state reporter, would sale papers!
Since in my 40+ years of reading your paper you have never had one.
I for one WANT to know what's going on in the state.
However I really do not give a flip, that Richard Burr took a few dollars out of a AMT.