Stu Zakim, former Publicity Director and Chief Communications Officer at Wenner Media, opened up in an exclusive interview with The Messenger about working under Jann Wenner, co-founder and former owner of Rolling Stone magazine.
During his tenure, Zakim grappled with a mix of “grief and anxiety,” he told The Messenger, shedding light on the emotional toll of navigating Wenner’s controversial stances.
Reacting to Wenner’s comments regarding women and Black artists in a New York Times profile published last month, Zakim expressed shock, saying, “My mouth dropped; it takes a lot to shock me, and I work with tough people who think they know best.”
Wenner said that his book The Masters does not contain any thoughts from women nor artists of color because they did not meet “a couple criteria.” (Days later, Rolling Stone issued a statement, saying that his remarks “do not represent the values and practices of today’s Rolling Stone.”)
Zakim added, “I couldn’t believe what he said about [Black and female musicians], how they couldn’t articulate things the way men could. What shocked me is how honest he was about giving editorial control to his friends in the story. I had to deal with this stuff all the time.”
When asked about Wenner’s impact on diversity in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Zakim explained that Rolling Stone “was initially hesitant to embrace hip-hop and celebrate Black artists, whether in music or film.”
Zakim claimed, “Very few Black artists found their way onto the cover because they didn’t seem to resonate with the magazine’s readership, which is why they didn’t have a high profile.”
The Messenger has reached out to Rolling Stone parent company Penske Media Corporation as well as publishing company Little, Brown and Company, who published Wenner’s The Masters.
Despite these challenges, Zakim fondly reminisced about his time at the magazine, acknowledging the unique environment. Over time, Wenner acknowledged the success of Black artists and began featuring them more prominently.
“I loved every day. It is certainly challenging working for someone like him,” recounted Zakim. “His personality quirks are well known. He was a different person back then; he hadn’t come out of the closet.” (Wenner separated from his wife Jane Schindelheim in 1995, and he has since been in a relationship with fashion designer Matt Nye.)
Zakim’s Rolling Stone era was characterized by a culture of “sex, drugs and rock and roll,” according to the former publicist, who claimed that interoffice relationships were common and that Wenner had an appetite for gossip.
Zakim described his boss as having “a lot of charm,” adding: “In spite of him firing me twice, I have immense respect for him for what he did, although not recently.”
He explained, “He didn’t pay us all that well, but many people wanted to work there. Brilliant editorial minds filled the ranks, and a lot of individuals who worked there have gone on to have incredibly successful careers.”
In the end, Zakim emphasized that Wenner had a unique talent for selecting accurate and talented writers.
“Although he wasn’t necessarily a genius in the realm of rock and roll, his true passion always lay in political change, with rock and roll serving as a vehicle for that purpose,” Zakim said. “I know that his interest in reshaping society was the dominating force, and music was his means of communication.”
