What It Was Like Working at John F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'George' Magazine
A deep dive from Esquire has surfaced new behind-the-scenes stories about George magazine, the short-lived, politics-meets-pop culture publication founded by John F. Kennedy, Jr. The publication was known for its provocative covers and a new (for the time) approach to political journalism: treating elected leaders as celebrities.
George staffers describe long work hours, but for the debut issue, the team really kicked it into gear. To produce it in three months, Esquire reports that they worked for 40 days straight, took one day off, and then worked for another 40 days. Kennedy reportedly kept himself up at the office past midnight with a supply of coffee and Diet Coke. (It wasn't all bad though-the late nights came with pizza from Kennedy's favorite restaurant.)
The George staff shared a floor with two fashion publications: Elle and Mirabella. Editors from those publications were reportedly excited to have Kennedy in their midst, even finding excuses to use the copier near his office, hoping of getting a glimpse of John.
Kennedy seems to have been very interested in building team spirit. He reportedly attended their birthday parties, and planned activities for the staff, including seeing plays and baseball games. The George staff also indulged in some Kennedy family-style touch football.
"Even though he often did stay late, [Kennedy] also would just disappear, and one night we disappeared with him," associate editor Hugo Lindgren told Esquire. "Me and my friend Manny-we were both associate editors-went Rollerblading with John in Central Park at midnight. And it was just the fucking coolest."
From the sound of it, George was very much Kennedy's magazine. He was extremely involved in the editorial process, and pushed his workers to add intrigue to their stories. "Why would people care about this?" was reportedly one of his trademark phrases.
"He was a dominant force in every meeting," George senior editor Ned Martel revealed to Esquire. "Nothing went forward without him knowing about it, or understanding it completely."
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