‘An Inconvenient Truth' For New Yorker Readers

For some subscribers to the New Yorker, this week's edition brought an added bonus to the customary fill of cartoons, fiction, and news features: Stuck in the middle was a free DVD of Vice President Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."

The diskette, encased in cardboard and plastic wrapping, is taped to an advertisement promoting the film's DVD release tomorrow, with the tag line, "Own, Watch and Share It." A message on the inside of its cardboard cover urges recipients to watch, "share," and "donate" the film.

The magazine could not confirm last night how many of its 1.06 million subscribers received the DVD, but a source said it may have been sent to a select subscriber group of about 1,500 "influential members of business, government, and the media." The source said it could also have been distributed regionally to subscribers in New York and Los Angeles, perhaps as part of a campaign to drum up Oscar buzz.

In the 96-minute film, Mr. Gore presents scientific evidence of global warming and urges immediate action to combat climate change. It is one of 15 feature-length documentaries in the running for an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary.

When it debuted in theaters in May, "An Inconvenient Truth" launched Mr. Gore, the narrow runner-up in the 2000 presidential race, back into the public eye and fueled talk of another bid for the White House. Mr. Gore has said he does not intend to run, but he has not ruled it out, and an Academy Award nomination or win could add to the speculation.

The DVD includes a 32-minute "update" from Mr. Gore on evidence of global warming that has surfaced in the year since the film was completed.

The New Yorker source could not estimate how much Paramount Classics, the distributor of the film, would have paid to include the film in the magazine, but said it was likely that the supplement was included as part of a larger advertising package. Officials at Paramount could not be reached for comment last night. The DVD's list price is $29.99. "An Inconvenient Truth" earned $23.8 million in the domestic box office, making it the third highest-grossing documentary of all time.