Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Welcome to this week’s edition of Confider, the media newsletter that pulls back the curtain to reveal what’s really going on inside the world’s most powerful navel-gazing industry. Subscribe here and send your questions, tips, and complaints here.
EXCLUSIVE — THE LA MAG FAULT LINE: Once revered as an award-winning publication that punched above its weight, Los Angeles magazine is starting to lose its luster under the ownership of celebrity attorneys Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas and the new management of publisher Chris Gialanella. Since their media arm Engine Vision Media took hold of the magazine and its various Golden State sister publications last year, current and former staffers told Confider, a host of troubling issues have befallen the new management. Read the full Confider story here.
EXCLUSIVE — WOOTTON WTF: Some staffers at The Daily Mail have urged management to fire columnist Dan Wootton following revelations about his sordid double life, Confider has learned. Wootton, whose twice-weekly column hasn’t appeared in the Mail Online since June 29th stands accused of creating bogus online identities to trick and bribe men into sending him sexually compromising images. “He is universally reviled across The Mail and staff are hoping he is bulleted very soon,” one Mail insider claimed to Confider. “Everyone is hoping Mail management kick him out and he never contributes to The Daily Mail ever again.” Wootton had been using privacy law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP to send scary-sounding legal letters to media outlets (including Confider) inquiring about the story but Confider has learned they are no longer representing the former top Murdoch editor. After Confider reached out to Wootton for comment on Monday about the status of his employment with The Daily Mail, he directed us to attorney Donal Blaney from Griffin Law, who promptly sent us a three-page legal threat. A rep for The Daily Mail did not respond to a request for comment.