Signaling new direction, US Weekly veteran Janice Min takes over Hollywood Reporter

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In a sharp turn for one of Hollywood’s long-running trade publications, former US Weekly editor Janice Min has been named editorial director of the Hollywood Reporter.

Min was editor of US Weekly from 2003 to 2009, during which she was best known for transitioning the glossy weekly celebrity magazine from focusing purely on movie and television actors to reality TV stars, as well as making Hollywood names more relatable to average readers. According to a news release, US Weekly’s circulation more than doubled under her tenure.

Her surprising appointment indicates a likely editorial repositioning for the Hollywood Reporter, which since its founding in 1930 has been a purely business publication focused on the ins-and-outs of movie studios and television networks. Like its rival, Daily Variety, the Reporter has struggled in the last few years as the studios have curtailed congratulatory and ‘for your consideration’ awards ads that have been the trades’ largest revenue source. In addition, they have lost circulation due to the shift of readers to the Web, where they face online competitors such as Deadline and The Wrap. In addition, The Times has increased its coverage of the entertainment industry.

Min was brought on by E5 Global Media, a private equity group that purchased the Reporter and six other publications including music industry trade Billboard from Nielsen Media late last year.

Though E5 executives have yet to detail their plans for the Reporter, the hiring of Min indicates that they plan to shift the brand’s focus away from a pure business publication and more toward reporting on celebrities and drawing a broader base of consumer readers.

“Janice dramatically transformed the landscape of entertainment journalism,” E5 Global Media Chief Executive Richard Beckman said in a statement. “She is perfectly suited to lead The Hollywood Reporter’s business-to-influencer coverage of the global entertainment industry.”

[Update, May 27, 2:24 p.m.: For much more, see the story in today’s Times]

-- Ben Fritz