Portfolio needs harder hitting stories in second issue

The New York Post’s Keith Kelly writes Thursday that the second issue of Conde Nast Portfolio will need to have harder hitting business stories if it is to succeed.

Kelly wrote, “Condé Nast in its direct-mail materials promised to deliver ‘hard hitting investigative reporting, compelling profiles and a close-up view of breaking news written by top business journalists and captured by the best photographers.’

“However, observers say the magazine missed that target with its first issue.

“‘There was no pacing, no flow, no mix of stories,’ said an editor at a rival magazine. ‘It was, ‘here’s a Tom Wolfe piece about Greenwich,’ and ‘here’s a story about new weapons.’ It was like a deadline out of control, and it all seemed like it went in as a big mush.’

“One person said that insiders are also angry about the lack of editorial direction at the magazine. The atmosphere inside is described as tense, leading to the outbreak of rumors that [editor Joanne] Lipman could be in trouble.

“One source said the second issue is ‘do or die time. They’ll get rid of her within six months if the second issue comes out and flops.'”

Read more here.