In his letter to Capps, Vogue's publishing director Tom Florio wrote, "...the goal of Congress should be to create legal guidelines for the marketing, distribution and sale of tobacco products, rather than to bring pressure on a magazine to forgo its legal right to conduct business as approved by the lawmakers of the United States." He further encouraged Capps to pass suitable legislation on the health issues brought on by the extended use of tobacco products. Over at Glamour, Cindi Leive, editor in chief, reminded Capps that her domain is editorial and, on that note, said the magazine "consistently [cautions] women on the dangers of smoking...." And while she said Glamour has won numerous awards for its pro-woman health coverage, Leive added the Camel ads in question comply with the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Kate White, editor in chief at Cosmopolitan, also reiterated she has no control over advertising, but said she's committed to women's health issues and pointed to a story in the September issue, "Evil New Evidence on Smoking."
Patrick McCarthy, chairman and editorial director at W, took the diplomatic route, telling Capps the magazine "[shares] your concerns about teenage smoking and [recognizes] it as a major problem in the United States." He also offered to engage in future dialogue on the issue.
But diplomacy doesn't appear to be in the cards for Capps. She proclaimed in a statement she will continue to "highlight the hypocrisy of these magazines' actions and pursue alternative means to encourage them to do the right thing."
Patrick McCarthy, chairman and editorial director at W, took the diplomatic route, telling Capps the magazine "[shares] your concerns about teenage smoking and [recognizes] it as a major problem in the United States." He also offered to engage in future dialogue on the issue.
But diplomacy doesn't appear to be in the cards for Capps. She proclaimed in a statement she will continue to "highlight the hypocrisy of these magazines' actions and pursue alternative means to encourage them to do the right thing."
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