The Media Interview

A lot of people, including me, have mentioned that People magazine paid $300,000 for the first print interview with Paris Hilton after she got out of jail. I did say that the Hiltons had withdrawn all request for money, but I wasn’t very clear that this included People magazine.

Here’s an exchange between Anderson Cooper and Jess Cagle, who did the interview for People, that sets the record straight - it also addresses the issue of whether money was paid, not for the interview itself, but for photos/videos:

COOPER: CNN did not pay for this interview or for use of any pictures.

And, Jess, I know there are rumors on the Internet that “People” magazine paid, for your interview, $300,000. Is that true?

CAGLE: No, it’s absolutely not.

I mean, we — we made it — we have been approaching them since the time she got in trouble. We wanted to talk to her when she got out of jail. I mean, it’s — it never even — we don’t pay for interviews. So, it was never brought up.

There was — a couple of weeks ago, there were some discussions that I wasn’t having, instead of doing our own photo shoot, we might buy photos through an agency, but that certainly never came to pass. We — there was absolutely no money that changed hands…

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: So, just — just to be clear, were there — did any money change hands? You know, because some news organization will pay for pictures that the family provides. Did the magazine — did “People” magazine pay for pictures, like, personal photographs?

CAGLE: No, no, not at all.

COOPER: OK. So, no money from “People” magazine, to your knowledge, went to the Hilton family or — or Paris Hilton — or Paris to secure this interview?

CAGLE: No, absolutely not.

COOPER: OK.