Dive Brief:

• Time Inc. is breaking with tradition by running ads on the covers of its print magazines. 
• Cover ads violate widely-observed guidelines set by the American Society of Magazine Editors and challenge the beliefs of many publishers that the practice risks the integrity of the publication. 
• Time and Sports Illustrated issues with cover ads from Verizon Wireless will hit the stands over the next week.

Dive Insight: 

While Time Inc. isn't the first publisher to put ads on the cover of a magazine, it's the first time magazines of such high stature are challenging taboos. Because the print industry has been struggling for years now, it's surprising this hasn't happened sooner. So far, the ads are quite small, so they may not cause much of a stir outside of the publishing and marketing worlds just yet.