What Happened To ‘George’ Magazine?

Lauren Novak March 12, 2:00 pm

I AM JFK JR., John F. Kennedy Jr., 2016 — Emerging Pictures/Everett Collection

In the mid-1990s, a new magazine emerged with a fresh, interesting concept: pairing bizarre celebrity photoshoots with modern politics. The magazine, titled George, arrived in September 1995 with a bold idea from John F. Kennedy Jr. and his friend and business partner Michael J. Berman.

Their goal was to make politics accessible, even entertaining, by blending it with celebrity culture and magazine storytelling. The result was a publication that looked more like Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair than a typical policy journal. For a brief moment, it became one of the most talked-about magazines in America.

History of George

Kennedy had grown up around both politics and publishing, so the concept behind George reflected both worlds. The magazine was published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. and was headquartered in New York City. Its tagline, “Not Just Politics as Usual,” summed up the approach. Instead of long policy essays aimed at insiders, the magazine treated politics as part of popular culture, mixing interviews, commentary and celebrity features.

Famous Covers

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The first issue featured Cindy Crawford, who appeared on the cover dressed as George Washington, photographed by fashion photographer Herb Ritts. One of the most distinctive things about George became its covers. Kennedy and his team often placed celebrities in historical costumes or used bold visual themes tied to American history. Several of the celebrities who appeared on the cover were Barbra Streisand, Demi Moore, and Harrison Ford, often photographed as famous historical faces, including Abraham Lincoln and Betsy Ross. Inside the magazine, contributors included journalists and commentators such as Norman Mailer, Chris Matthews, Al Franken, and Paul Begala. For a time, the concept worked. Thanks partly to Kennedy’s celebrity and curiosity about the new format, George briefly had the largest circulation of any political magazine in the United States. However, it wouldn’t last long.

Behind the scenes, the partnership between Kennedy and Berman became increasingly strained. By early 1997, the two men were locked in a power struggle over the magazine’s direction. According to several accounts from the time, the conflict became intense, with heated arguments and even a physical confrontation. Berman eventually sold his stake in the magazine and left the operation.

Kennedy took over more direct control of George after the split. However, Berman’s departure coincided with a drop in sales and growing financial losses for the publication. The future of the magazine became even more uncertain after Kennedy died in a plane crash in July 1999. He had still been serving as the magazine’s public face and guiding figure. Following his death, the publisher purchased Kennedy’s ownership stake from his estate and attempted to continue the magazine. Editor Frank Lalli took over as editor in chief, and the magazine continued publishing for more than a year. But advertising revenue declined, and the momentum surrounding the magazine’s launch was gone. In January 2001, George released its final issue and quietly folded.

Whatever Happened to Michael Berman?

As for Berman, the co-founder who helped launch the magazine alongside Kennedy, he largely stepped away from the project in 1997. Berman is the son of longtime Washington lobbyist Robert S. Berman and had deep political connections before entering publishing. After leaving George, Berman continued working in media and political consulting. He moved on to other ventures in communications and political strategy rather than returning to magazine publishing. His name remained tied to the magazine’s creation, but his involvement ended well before its final years. Although George existed only from 1995 to 2001, it reflected an interesting period in American politics and media.