‘Queen of the Tabloids’ Bonnie Fuller leaves American Media

Bonnie Fuller, once dubbed Queen of the Tabloids, is giving up her job as chief editorial director at American Media, the company which publishes the weekly Star.

She had a year to go on her contract and both she and David Pecker, who heads American Media, insisted she is voluntarily giving up her job – which reportedly paid her over a million dollars a year She will remain linked to the company as a consultant and as “editor at large” for The Star.

“It was my decision,” the 53 year old Canadian-born newswoman insisted.

Nevertheless there have been reports lately that the weekly.

In the words of the trade journal MediaWeek has been “showing signs of strain” The Star has been facing increasing competition from In Touch, Life & Style and the American version of OK. Once one of the top sellers, The Star, although still regarded as a major player , has lately trailed the almost two million circulation US and of course sells much less than People which has a circulation of almost four million

In her career, which spans 25 years, and began on the Canadian fashion magazine Flare, she has worked for several top publication including Marie Claire, Glamour and Cosmopolitan (where she succeeded long-time editor Helen Gurley Brown) but it was in the tabloid world that she really made her name. She master-minded the successful ascent of US and increased its news-stand sales into the millions.

She was a tough editor, difficult to please. She supposedly “burned up editors”. Punishing hours were routine. All night editing sessions were commonplace. Even picture captions had to have her OK. But at every place she worked she boosted circulation – and made her name. Twice she won the title Editor of the Year.