From The NY POST

At Woman's Wear Daily, in the Fairchild wing, media reporter Peter Braunstein was axed last Friday. Braunstein claims that it is because he stepped on someone's toes at Anna Wintour's Vogue, a Conde Nast publication.

Last week, Braunstein said he sought to get an extra ticket to the VH-1 Vogue fashion awards for his date. Vogue p.r. person Patrick O'Connell at first said he was unsure if he could get the ticket. Braunstein told O'Connell to forget about it. Shortly thereafter, O'Connell dug up an extra ticket and Bruanstein and date went to the show.

But the story doesn't end there. The next day, Braunstein's boss James Fallon, editor of WWD, sent an e-mail to Braunstein. According to Braunstein, the e-mail charged him with bullying and being abusive to the Vogue p.r. person. By Friday, Braunstein was fired - he claims because he stepped on the wrong toes at Vogue. He claimed that Women's Wear has a policy of going easier on Vogue than other magazines at Conde Nast.

Some Fairchild sources claim that the blowup was just the latest in a long series of clashes.

"It is strictly between WWD and Peter Braunstein. It has nothing to do with Vogue," said O'Connell.

O'Donnell Files Countersuit Against G+J
Lisa Granatstein, MediaWeek

As Dan Brewster, president/CEO of G+J USA Publishing, welcomed attendees to the American Magazine Conference in Phoenix Monday, ex-publishing partner Rosie O'Donnell fired her salvo at the Magazine Publishers of America chairman, and his company.

O'Donnell and her attorneys filed a breach of contract countersuit against G+J USA for more than $125 million.

The suit, which was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, also asks for an unspecified punitive and compensatory damages against the publishing company and Brewster for "unathorized and disparaging statements to the press."

At the center of O'Donnell's response to G+J's suit, is her accusation that G+J "under intense pressure" coererced her to agree to a change in the editor in chief, replacing Cathy Cavender with People veteran Susan Toepfer. O'Donnell's suit also noted that she disagreed with the firing of creative director Doug Turshen.

O'Donnell denied reported allegations that she would take down Brewster, during a heated disagreement. Rather, she claims in the suit, the conversation was that "Brewster said 'I'll ruin you.' O'Donnell replied, 'You'll bring me down? You're coming with me.'"

Also O'Donnell stated in the suit that Toepfer's inclination was to "sensationalize celebrity stories," which she claimed countered her own editorial vision. "Toepfer also suggested covers featuring celebrities who were in the midst of personal tragedies."

Then, in July, O'Donnell claims that Brewster ordered the staff to report directly to Toepfer, not O'Donnell, as part of a "hostile takeover" of the magazine. In doing so, O'Donnell says Brewster made an example of Turshen by firing him.

"G+J has reviewed Rosie O'Donnell's complaint and we stand by our version of the facts," a company spokeswoman said. "G+J is confident that we will prevail in the litigation."

The final December issue of Rosie hits stands in November.