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Salon finds sex sells
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September 16, 1998: 10:28 p.m. ET
Story on Hyde's affair 30 years ago proves to be a boon for Web traffic
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - In the competitive world of publishing, there's nothing like a hot story to get your name noticed, particularly when you're thinking about going to Wall Street for money.
That's how the editors of Salon magazine must be feeling Wednesday after the online magazine reported that House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde, whose committee is considering impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, had an affair 30 years ago with a woman other than his wife.
The story, which ignited a firestorm of criticism from Republican leaders after it appeared on the San Francisco, Calif.-based Internet magazine's Web site Wednesday, could very well end up being one of the most highly rated stories for the publication since Salon was founded in 1995.
'Manna from heaven'
Patrick Hurley, a spokesman for Salon's marketing operations, said it's too soon to say how many Web surfers visited the site Wednesday, but traffic this week is already up about 75 percent as a result of Salon's coverage of the Clinton scandal, and the magazine expects a substantial increase on Thursday as word of the Hyde story makes its way into the mainstream media.
"This is certainly manna from heaven," Hurley said.
Indeed, as the number of publications on the Web and in traditional print format continues to grow, the competition for exclusive stories that drive visitors to a Web site or a magazine has also accelerated.
For example, Court TV founder Steve Brill's Content Magazine scored a tremendous coup in June with an exclusive interview with Independent Prosecutor Kenneth Starr.
Like Content, Salon is trying to build a readership and break out of the pack. However, Hurley said the decision to run the Hyde story had nothing to do with Salon's marketing plans or a possible public offering.
"There was absolutely no strategic kind of synergy there," Hurley said. "This was strictly an editorial decision."
Hurley said it was just a coincidence that the story broke just after Salon inked a deal with America Online to become one of the online giant's anchor tenants, a deal that allows Salon to be read by AOL's 13 million members.
Story ignites political firestorm
Nevertheless, the story, and the political reaction it is generating in Washington, certainly can't hurt Salon's efforts to boost readership as it mulls a public offering.
Within hours of the story going on the Internet, Hyde issued a statement in which he acknowledged he had an affair with a woman 30 years ago.
"The statute of limitations has long since passed on my youthful indiscretions," Hyde said. "The only purpose for this being dredged up now is an obvious attempt to intimidate me, and it won't work."
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay issued a strong statement, blaming the story on Clinton allies.
"It is sad that the president's attack dogs don't know the difference between breaking the law and making a mistake decades ago," DeLay said.
"The latest attack on Chairman Henry Hyde, launched by Salon -- a close ally of the Clinton White House -- is the most despicable, most disgraceful, most disgusting piece of rumor-mongering that I have ever seen."
In a editorial accompanying the Salon story, the publication said the "White House had nothing whatsoever to do with any aspect of this story." 
-- by staff writer Jerry Dubrowski
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