Will she use paparazzi...? Lady Gaga to edit paper

By agreeing to take the hot seat at Metro International for a day, the pop star has joined a long (but not always distinguished) guest list

After conquering the pop world, Lady Gaga is turning her hand, albeit briefly, to journalism. Whether she will attempt to create a collector's edition by decorating her publication with cover-mounted strips of raw meat is yet to be seen.

The pop star will oversee production of 17 international editions of the Metro International morning newspaper next month. The title is distinct from the British paper Metro, but the publisher, which is based in Sweden and owns titles in 18 countries, has an office in London and it is from here that the singer will be making her editorial decisions.

The consummate self-publicist has skilfully manipulated the media in the past and now has the opportunity to actually sit in an editor's chair. Her relationship with the press is complicated and she acknowledged the role of the media in the fame game in the song "Paparazzi". Her performance of that song at the MTV Awards in 2009 finished with Gaga soaked in fake blood.

Maggie Samways, global editor-in-chief for Metro International, said she was "thrilled" that Lady Gaga had agreed to become the latest in a long line of guest editors. Ms Samways also sounded a little unsure of what to expect, predicting only that the singer would produce "a one-of-a-kind newspaper" on 17 May.

Notable guest editors

Bono

Vanity Fair, July 2007

The ubiquitous rock singer led an Africa-themed issue of the glamorous American monthly, saying: "I've always imagined that if I hadn't been a singer I would have been a journalist". Despite having already performed the role with The Independent and the BBC's Today programme, he admitted he was "no natural editor", as the magazine ran with a choice of 20 different covers.

Celebrity rating: 5/5

Editorial rating: 4/5

Stephen Colbert

Newsweek, 6 June 2009

He used his editorial role to accuse the media of neglecting to cover continuing violence in Iraq in sufficient depth following the banking crisis, writing: "I just figured the insurgents were wiped out because they were heavily invested in Lehman Brothers."

Celebrity rating: 3/5

Editorial rating: 4/5

Sir Elton John

The Independent, 1 December 2010

Taking the chair for last year's World Aids Day edition of this newspaper, Sir Elton showed a remarkable grasp of the demands of his job, and remained in the office later than some of the journalists.

Celebrity rating: 5/5

Editorial rating: 5/5

Tony Adams

Today programme, 30 December 2009

Featuring an interview with Joey Barton – a footballer with an even more controversial career than Adams' own – the programme was dominated by sport but also looked into how drug abuse is dealt with in prisons. It was widely applauded.

Celebrity rating: 3/5

Editorial rating: 5/5

James Blunt

Metro International, November 17 2008

The first of the global newspaper's guest editors made it clear he would not be commissioning celebrity tittle-tattle, saying: "The first time someone asks about my private life they immediately go down in my estimation." Instead, he focused on climate change and world peace.

Celebrity rating: 3/5

Editorial rating: 4/5

Penelope Cruz

French Vogue, May 2010

Personally appeared on all three of the special edition's covers, but associate editor-in-chief Olivier Lalanne praised her by saying: "She was very intense and precise about what she wanted".

Celebrity rating: 5/5

Editorial rating: 3/5

Jemima Khan

New Statesman, 8 April 2011

Included her own much-quoted interview with Nick Clegg and a piece by Hugh Grant based on a bugged encounter with an ex-News of the World executive.

Celebrity rating: 5/5

Editorial rating: 5/5

Jennifer Aniston

Harper's Bazaar, February 2011

Not content just to edit, Aniston also interviewed Nicole Kidman – although the result revealed little about her fellow actress.

Celebrity rating: 5/5

Editorial rating: 2/5

Sarah Brown

Your Life, 8 March 2010 (supplement in The Daily Mirror)

The wife of then Prime Minister Gordon Brown took the reins to mark the 100th International Women's Day.

Celebrity rating: 3/5

Editorial rating: 3/5