Henry E. "Hank" Scott is a media business executive and journalist. He is the author of three books: Shocking True Story, the Rise and Fall of Confidential, America's Most Scandalous Scandal Magazine,[1] [2] and two self-published works, London Comfort: From Hollywood to the White House, an American Idol's Dangerous Real World Adventure,[3] and Want to Launch a Local News Website?[4]
In January 1996, Scott became president and editorial director of Out, where he launched an auxiliary publication titled HIV Plus.[5] Scott made major and somewhat controversial changes to Outs staffing and content to concentrate the magazine's focus on the lifestyle of gay men rather than lesbians and to concentrate its circulation on major metropolitan areas likely to attract major advertisers. His refusal to renew the contract of Sarah Pettit, a lesbian who had been the magazine's editor, sparked controversy.[6] Scott replaced her with James Collard, a gay man who was editor of the U.K.'s Attitude gay magazine. Collard left after one year.[7]
Scott was hired in 2002 to advise London-based Metro International on the launch of Metro New York, a 330,000-circulation free daily newspaper published in New York City. Scott served as Metro's managing director, publisher, and strategic business advisor until 2006.[8] [9]