Five years after the debut of O magazine, Ed Gordon talks with Gayle King, the magazine's editor-at-large, about the publishing industry, what work she's most proud of and her friendship with Oprah Winfrey.
ED GORDON, host: I'm Ed Gordon, and this is NEWS & NOTES.</s>ED GORDON, host: Five years ago, Oprah Winfrey entered the world of magazine publishing.      Much like her television show, the magazine's articles touch readers of      all ages, races and backgrounds.  Today, O is going strong with a      circulation of more than two million.  Gayle King is editor at large and      Oprah's closest friend.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let's talk a little bit about five years, the fifth...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): I know.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...anniversary for this maga--I was shocked, honestly, when I      saw that.  Does it seem like five years?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Were you shocked because we made it or were you shocked      because it's five years and it...</s>ED GORDON, host: No.  Now you know...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): ...just seems like yesterday?</s>ED GORDON, host: ...I would not be shocked that whatever Ms. Winfrey puts...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): What are you trying to say, Mr. Gordon?</s>ED GORDON, host: ...her face on, I would not be shocked.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): What are you saying?  Oh.</s>ED GORDON, host: But just--it did seem like yesterday to me.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): No, I hear you.  I hear you so loud and clear, and it is      interesting to me that it's been five years.  And when we started this      magazine, they said, `You know, most magazines are very difficult.  If it      succeeds, it'll be at least five years to make a profit or break even.'      But, you know, the Oprah brand is so strong that I went into it saying it      was ours to lose, in that she has a following, people love her, but if      you don't deliver, it doesn't matter what you do.  So, so far, knock on      wood--I'm knocking on wood, people, Ed's head--I'm knocking on wood, and      so far, so good.</s>ED GORDON, host: Did you believe that you could really crank out a magazine      monthly that essentially is to self-help, to empower?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Well, I actually did, and I don't look at it so much as      self-help as I do about happiness.  It really does resonate with women.      It really does want you to be happy where you are.  And if you're not,      here are some things that maybe you should think about.  But I don't      know, you know, every month...</s>ED GORDON, host: But don't you think that most of us need that help to get there,      unfortunately?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah, we do.  We do.  And sometimes, we don't even know that      we need it.  But every month, you have to come up with some thing.  You      know, when we sit around a room and kick around ideas and, you know,      things just start to fall into place.</s>ED GORDON, host: What do you say to those who are critical and say that what they      hear from Oprah and will read in the magazine is too simplistic?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Who's critical?  Who are those people?</s>ED GORDON, host: Yeah.  Let's find them, right?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah, bring them over here.  Let's step outside.  You know, I      think that that's somebody that really doesn't get the message and      certainly doesn't get her.  Many times, things are simplistic and simple,      but the bottom line is it has to start with you.</s>ED GORDON, host: And we make them hard.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah, we do.  But it really does have to start with you.      There's nothing anybody can tell you, anybody can show you if you're not      ready or willing or open to listening.  Most people get it and get her      and get the mission and get the message that she puts out.</s>ED GORDON, host: How o...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): And men get it, too.  No, really, we have a lot of men      readers. It's true.</s>ED GORDON, host: Oh, no, I believe that.  I believe that.  You talk about the      Oprah brand.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: And I guess the last I saw you was at the Image Awards and Chris      Tucker joked about how powerful she is, that she can be on the cover of      this magazine every month...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...and people will pick it up...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...simply because of that.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: But are you amazed at the brand and what she has been able to      present?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah.  We got on an elevator once, and it was so funny,      because the people didn't recog--they saw us but didn't recognize her.      And so she starts talking to me, because Oprah was behind me, and she      said, `You know, I like that magazine, but why you got to put Oprah on      every month?  Can't you think of anybody else?'  This was in the      ...(unintelligible) and I go, `Well, what would you suggest?'  She goes,      `I don't know.'  And I looked over at Oprah and Oprah's like--like I      wanted to say, `You know, there's Oprah,' and she's like--she's shaking      her head like, nope, just leave it alone.  Because I thought it was      comical.  So the truth of the matter is this.  Whenever Oprah's on      anybody else's magazine, it sells like crazy, so why wouldn't we do that      for our own magazine?  You know, so far, it's working for us.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let me ask you this, which I've always found interesting.  Best      friends--my best friend and I sound the same...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): I know.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...same cadence, same--you-all sound exactly alike.  I'm sure...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): I know.  I know.  People say that.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...that you-all talk about it, the mannerisms and all.  Do      you-all see it?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Well, I see it when people point it out to me.  You know, when      I'm with my sisters, they'll go--or when they're watching "Oprah," they      go, `God, she sounds Gayle,' or they'll say, `You sound like Oprah.'  And      sometimes we'll be talking, I'll be watching her on TV, going, `Hey, she      stole my line. I said that.'  But, you know, I think the truth of the      matter is when you are good friends with somebody, you do tend to play      off of each other unconsciously and pick up each other's mannerisms.  You      know, we are so like-minded, Ed, really from the very beginning in terms      of how we think, what we like, what we dislike, our life philosophies,      how we see people, and I think when I met her, it was the first time in a      long time that I thought, God, I met somebody who feels the way I do.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): And we sort of clicked from the very beginning.  You know, we were 21 and      22, and now we're 50 and 51.  So I knew her before she was Oprah Winfrey.      So it does sometimes take me aback, I have to say, that she has become      this--you know, somebody used the word the other day, `empire,' and I      thought, gosh, you know, when they started ticking off all the things      that you do, I called her and said, `You know, you are sounding very      empirelike,' and so that does sometimes take me aback.  It's true.</s>ED GORDON, host: How difficult has it been for you to have to change as a person      based on just your simple friendship with this woman?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): But, you know, I don't think I've had to change as a person.      I really don't.  I don't.  Do you think I've changed?</s>ED GORDON, host: I don't think you've changed necessarily, but I think just your      juxtaposition to her affords you all that comes with her, good and bad,      and so you just, by virtue of that, have become a celeb with the idea...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): By the association, yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...by the association, but with the idea that also, you can      become tabloid fodder just as she could--all of those things.  I mean,      you take the good with the bad, and I'm curious how you've had to deal      with that?</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): That is true.  You know, I didn't think of it that way,      because...</s>ED GORDON, host: See, that's why I'm here.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Yeah, I didn't--yeah, thank you so much, Dr. Gordon.  No, I      never thought of it that way, but I think, you know, certainly with the      association, you know, I never see--people say to me, `Oh, it must be so      hard being her best friend.'  But honest to God, it's a kick.  It really      is.</s>ED GORDON, host: Yeah.  No, I would think...</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): It's a kick.  I say this often.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...that the positives certainly outweigh the negatives.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Oh, honey, please.  I'm not living in her shadow.  I live in      her light and I'm her biggest supporter, biggest cheerleader and just so      happy for all that she's accomplished, really.</s>ED GORDON, host: Thank you so much for being with you.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Thank you.</s>ED GORDON, host: Appreciate it.</s>Ms. GAYLE KING (Editor at Large, O Magazine): Good to see you.</s>ED GORDON, host: Gayle King, editor at large of O Magazine.