An unlikely path for Miller '95

A major in molecular biology doesn't seem like a surefire way to get into the entertainment and fashion publishing industry, but it's worked out quite well for Samantha Miller '95. After Miller graduated from Princeton, she immediately went to work for People Magazine. Today, Miller is the magazine's deputy editor of movies. She sums up her occupation with the words: "anytime a movie star does something, they're my problem." From breakups to premiers to fashion, if it has to do with movie stars, Miller is on it. Red carpet walks and designer couture seem to be a far cry from the life of a research scientist, but for Miller, it was always a choice between one or the other.

During college, Miller ran across an occupational conundrum. She thought she was interested in a job in scientific research, but found herself spending all her free time working for The Daily Princetonian. After graduation, she immediately snapped up a job working for the new People Magainze webpage. Her break into the published magazine itself came just two years later, when People's editors invited her to become a print writer. Two years ago, Miller rose to the rank of editor.

Covering the entertainment business is a surprisingly complex production. Miller's morning editorial meetings lay out the direction of the upcoming issue as the staff debates and discusses a variety of topics, such as how important this week's American Idol was or who should be on the cover this week, "J. Lo or Charles and Camilla?" Even the seemingly simple issues are important: there's a lot of money riding on the editors' final decisions. People Magazine has been America's trusted window into celebrity life for more than thirty years, and it relies on newsstand sales more heavily than other magazines.

Going to work has been particularly engaging for Miller recently, most notably because of the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston saga. News of the breakup that rocked the celebrity world reached People Magazine before any other publication heard the news. Miller's involvement in the breaking story is summed up well in numbers: The announcement was made late on a Friday evening. Miller was in the office working on the story at 10:00 a.m. the next morning and did not stop until 7:00 a.m. the following day. The editors pushed up the week's deadline to share the news first, and Miller was a key player in the project, working in the fray for almost twenty-four straight hours.

According to Miller, People Magazine is a publication with journalistic integrity, not one that will spread rumors, dish unchecked dirt or say anything just to lure readers. With the recent influx of publications that hedge the line between truth and news and sometimes make unfair and unresearched claims, she worries that People Magazine will be viewed with the others. She says, "We're [a member of] Time Inc. We only print what we know is true. It's celebrity journalism, but it's real journalism."

Though she is not a writer for the Style Watch section of People Magazine, fashion is an essential part of Miller's work. Especially this time of year — Oscar season. What the celebrities are wearing is always in the spotlight during the Academy Awards, and readers look to People to see designers' newest products sported by Hollywood's best. "It plays a big role in every story," Miller said.

Miller has a few opinions of her own about what celebrities have been wearing. "Uggs were pretty wacky," she said. She is also unsure of celebrities' investment in message t-shirts. However, regardless of whether the fashions are hot or not, the coverage of celebrities and their clothing is one that draws a multitude of interested readers.

Without alumni like Miller working in the business of celebrity media, we would be without the entertainment and fashion input that we all undeniably crave. Miller said reporting celebrity news is a calculated industry. One must know what the readers will want to see, want to read, and — of course — want to wear.