By Jency James, J Camp Staff Writer

In recent times, consumers have been bombarded by a fleet of glossy magazines beseeching us as we wait by the check out line at Target or the news stand on the street. In one corner stands Us Weekly, boasting about the latest diet tips from the Kardashians. In another is Star magazine, splashing the Mel Gibson scandal on its cover.

But People magazine seems to stand above the rest, known for ruling the upper class of the entertainment reporting spectrum and doing so with an unique grace.

The core values of People magazine that include reporting the truth while balancing the feature-esque and lighthearted stories stem from the very roots in which it developed, according to one of its veteran editors.

“When People Magazine was founded in 1984, it had a clear mission statement,” said assistant editor Cynthia Wang, 39. “We’d tell the extraordinary stories of ordinary people and the ordinary stories of extraordinary people.”

People will report on what Brad Pitt had for breakfast, but then turn around and manage to crank out a tear-jerker on the soldier coming home from active duty. The magazine walks the line of general human interest and features balancing in both of them a fairly symbiotic relationship.

“It leans towards celebrities because that’s what sells, but it also has human interest pieces,” said Wang.

But the magazine stands out above the rest in more than its content. Its distinct business mindset and reporting style make it a little brighter as does the history behind the glossy cover.

“The history of People lends us credibility. We grew out of Time Magazine (and) have all the reporting standards of Time (Inc.) magazines,” said Wang.

While the magazine does face some competition in the lightening-fast-speed of delivery that TMZ and Radar online employ, Wang finds its reporting to still be top-notch.

“We pride ourselves on our accuracy,” said Wang. “What we occasionally lose in speed, we gain in accuracy.

The publication also believes its attention to the lesser-known branch it out from its competition.

“We’ve always been a general interest magazine,” said Wang. “The term ‘gossip’ and ‘tabloid’ come from our competitors.”

Even through the ups and downs that the publication industry is currently facing, People magazine still believes it’s possible to achieve success. The publication has taken notice of the changes that have begun shaping the future of media and has established a notable online presence and employs a staff to specifically target online content .

“We’re trying to make the site and the magazine unique so they don’t overlap,” said Wang.

Even after 26 years of reporting whether it’s on the winner of “Dancing With the Stars” or a case of a child abduction in Minnesota, People magazine still manages to hold reign over its competition and it appears as though it will continue to do so for years to come.

(title by Hui)