A Disturbing Trend

Got the latest version of Christianity Today magazine. It's web tagline says it's a "magazine of evangelical conviction."

Now, I do understand that magazines make money by selling advertising.

But this month's edition was in my box at work, with the cover showing actor Steve Carel dressed as the Biblical character Noah underneath the CT logo. It had little snippets that looked like they were telling you what was in the articles, but they were really just ads for the upcoming movie "Evan Almighty"--a follow-up to Jim Carrey's "Bruce Almighty"--in which Morgan Freeman, as God, interacts with people on earth.

But it wasn't really the cover.

It was a special advertising supplement. Underneath the pseudo front and back, there was the "true" cover, which, interestingly, had an article about the director of the movie and how he viewed his profession. That article was a good one, as was the one about Donald Miller (which I couldn't find on the on-line edition yet), as was the one about the future of Christian publishing.

Listen, the magazine has sold itself for years.
And I understand you need to turn a profit.
And I liked the first movie and will see the movie you're promoting--in fact, the director is very much salt & light (just listen to the director's chat over the Bruce Almighty DVD if you weren't aware).
And I don't care if you sell as many ads as you want inside the cover, or the back cover for that matter.
And your I get your niche marketing...and Hollywood's, for that matter.
And maybe this special cover went only to subscribers and isn't on the newsstands.

But, no matter what...

...the cover is yours. It defines your magazine and what it's about.

And I don't think it's about a movie. Any movie, no matter what the content of that movie.
And I don't think it's about advertising. Any advertising, no matter whether or not you're paying the bills.

But, CT, you've set a very dangerous precedent.

Be very, very careful.

And maybe apologize and promise never to do it again.