Magazines adopt 1st sweepstakes ethics guidelines.

This article reports on the adoption by the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) on the first-ever guidelines on how to manage sweepstakes promotions. Such promotions typically help sell one-third of all new magazine subscriptions. The MPA soon will send ethics guidelines for selling subscriptions through sweepstakes to its members. It declined to release the guidelines because it is still fine-tuning the exact language. The industry is particularly concerned because early estimates indicate responses to direct-mail offers could be off by as much as 80%, partially due to the bad publicity. The MPA plans to hold a meeting to develop a strategy on how best to pitch its stance to consumers and legislators as well as members.