GQ Senior Editor Mary Kaye Schilling on Media Mayhem with Allison Hope Weiner
Episode 10
Episode Synopsis
On the 10th episode of Media Mayhem, Allison is joined by Senior Articles Editor for GQ Magazine, Mary Kaye Schilling. Mary talks about her extensive career as a journalist working for Sassy, New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The LA Times and now at GQ Magazine. The two discuss what makes a good critic, how to develop a good profile and story and also what challenges women face in the world of journalism.
Guest Bio
Mary Kaye Schilling started out as an original staffer at Jane Pratt’s magazine, Sassy, in New York. Later she became a music editor at Entertainment Weekly, where she worked her way up to the top of the masthead as an executive editor. During her time at EW, she also served as the L.A. Bureau chief where she transformed the magazine’s L.A. bureau. She then accepted a job in Los Angeles at The L.A. Times, becoming the editor of Calendar Weekend and its companion website calendarlive.com. In 2008, she left The L.A. Times to work with Adam Moss as the culture editor at New York Magazine. This year she left New York Magazine to become a Senior Articles Editor at GQ Magazine.
Episode Breakdown
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:00- 02:00 Introduction: Mary Kaye Schilling
02:00 Why is it you ended up leaving the LA Times?
03:00 You were at Sassy as it started to die…can you talk about what it was like to watch people go and what that meant in terms of content?
04:33 Do you read the entertainment coverage here (in LA)?
05:50 Do you think when you were at EW that there was more excitement about LA and how did you cover it?
07:30 You made some unconventional choices for GQ Men Of The Year issue this year. Were you trying to be a taste-maker?
09:30 Do you think EW is doing anything now that is taste-making? Did you provide a voice for that magazine?
10:25 Is much of it a result of the current economy?
11:00 Do you think, in terms of coverage, that television is a place where a writer can do something different? What are your favorite TV shows?
12:50 What is your feeling about profiles and where they are at right now?
14:50 What advice do you give writers you work with?
15:45 What are the things you see in profiles that are totally scripted?
18:45 Everybody is interesting in their own mind. Do you think we get that from celebrities?
20:30 Profiles of celebrities interviewing other celebrities: How much of that is a ghost writer’s work?
22:18 Were you at all concerned about the “most uninteresting/ uninfluential people” segment as being too negative?
23:30 Why is it that only when someone is down and disdained can someone write anything negative about them?
24:50 Would you want to spend more time with Quintin Tarantino (in regards to a piece MKS did on him)?
25:30 What is it like being a woman in this industry? Did you find it difficult to get where you are?
27:30 Do you find that nobody wants to talk about the subject?
28:12 Why are there more women at GQ? How did that happen?
28:45 You have said you look back and it’s like pushing a boulder up the hill, you always get to the 2nd position. You’ve gotten close but not to the top. Do you think that is reflective of the magazines you’ve worked for?
31:30 Talk about the botox story you wanted to do while at EW.
35:30 What stories do you think are being covered poorly or aren’t covered enough in the media today?
37:45 Clarence Thomas/ Anita Hill case in comparison to Herman Cain?
39:45 What other stories in the news are troubling to you (how they are being covered)?
43:15 If somebody comes to you with a hot story, what are the standards in reporting that you would require for that journalist?
44:15 Has fact checking become part of your job as an editor?
46:00 Do you think long form content will become a thing of the past?
47:00 Have you noticed in some places that the stories are shorter?
49:00 MEDIA MAYHE Round with Producer Nick
50:30 First headline from Salon: Chelsea Clinton as hired by NBC, McCain’s daughter, Jenna Bush: How do you feel about “stunt casting”?
54:30 We had a tv/movie critic on last week, what do you expect from a writer in regards to criticism (what is fair/what isn’t)?
58:15 You have a great eye for trends, what do you see coming down the line that you are looking forward to?
59:10 Having lived in LA and NYC do you find one city to be a center point for trends? What about in regards to media?
1:03:07 WRAP UP
00:00- 02:00 Introduction: Mary Kaye Schilling
02:00 Why is it you ended up leaving the LA Times?
03:00 You were at Sassy as it started to die…can you talk about what it was like to watch people go and what that meant in terms of content?
04:33 Do you read the entertainment coverage here (in LA)?
05:50 Do you think when you were at EW that there was more excitement about LA and how did you cover it?
07:30 You made some unconventional choices for GQ Men Of The Year issue this year. Were you trying to be a taste-maker?
09:30 Do you think EW is doing anything now that is taste-making? Did you provide a voice for that magazine?
10:25 Is much of it a result of the current economy?
11:00 Do you think, in terms of coverage, that television is a place where a writer can do something different? What are your favorite TV shows?
12:50 What is your feeling about profiles and where they are at right now?
14:50 What advice do you give writers you work with?
15:45 What are the things you see in profiles that are totally scripted?
18:45 Everybody is interesting in their own mind. Do you think we get that from celebrities?
20:30 Profiles of celebrities interviewing other celebrities: How much of that is a ghost writer’s work?
22:18 Were you at all concerned about the “most uninteresting/ uninfluential people” segment as being too negative?
23:30 Why is it that only when someone is down and disdained can someone write anything negative about them?
24:50 Would you want to spend more time with Quintin Tarantino (in regards to a piece MKS did on him)?
25:30 What is it like being a woman in this industry? Did you find it difficult to get where you are?
27:30 Do you find that nobody wants to talk about the subject?
28:12 Why are there more women at GQ? How did that happen?
28:45 You have said you look back and it’s like pushing a boulder up the hill, you always get to the 2nd position. You’ve gotten close but not to the top. Do you think that is reflective of the magazines you’ve worked for?
31:30 Talk about the botox story you wanted to do while at EW.
35:30 What stories do you think are being covered poorly or aren’t covered enough in the media today?
37:45 Clarence Thomas/ Anita Hill case in comparison to Herman Cain?
39:45 What other stories in the news are troubling to you (how they are being covered)?
43:15 If somebody comes to you with a hot story, what are the standards in reporting that you would require for that journalist?
44:15 Has fact checking become part of your job as an editor?
46:00 Do you think long form content will become a thing of the past?
47:00 Have you noticed in some places that the stories are shorter?
49:00 MEDIA MAYHE Round with Producer Nick
50:30 First headline from Salon: Chelsea Clinton as hired by NBC, McCain’s daughter, Jenna Bush: How do you feel about “stunt casting”?
54:30 We had a tv/movie critic on last week, what do you expect from a writer in regards to criticism (what is fair/what isn’t)?
58:15 You have a great eye for trends, what do you see coming down the line that you are looking forward to?
59:10 Having lived in LA and NYC do you find one city to be a center point for trends? What about in regards to media?
1:03:07 WRAP UP
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Hosted By
Allison Hope Weiner
Allison Hope Weiner was a Century City entertainment litigator before she began writing about Hollywood as a journalist. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Southern California Law Center, she joined the legendary firm of Wyman, Bautzer—where she represented entertainers and corporate media clients.
