Tesco's action on covers creates tension with publishers

Daniel Farey-Jones,

November 22, 2004

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Tesco's action on covers creates tension with publishers

LONDON - Tesco, now the nation's second-largest magazine retailer after WH Smith's, has walked into a censorship row as it steps up its efforts to control the content of magazine front covers by sending out guidelines to distributors.

The guidelines cover taste and decency and have targeted lads' mags in particular, asking them to foil wrap the more explicit front covers.

Tesco says it made the move after complaints from shoppers. Newspaper reports have claimed that the retailer has recently demanded changes to several lads' mags and have quoted anonymous publishing sources critical of Tesco's influence.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "We want to stock as wide a range of magazines as possible. However, we are a family store and we have had complaints from customers with young children about some magazine front covers."

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