Does Jolie have the media wrapped around her finger?

LOS ANGELES - When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt negotiated with People and other celebrity magazines this summer for photos of their newborn twins and an interview, the stars were seeking more than the estimated $14 million they received from the deal. They also wanted a hefty slice of journalistic input -- a promise that the winning magazine's coverage would be positive, not merely in that instance but into the future.

According to the deal offered by Jolie, the winning magazine was obliged to offer coverage that would not reflect negatively on her or her family, said two people with knowledge of the bidding. The deal also asked for an "editorial plan" providing a road map of the layout, these people say.

The winner was People. The resulting package in its Aug. 18 issue -- the magazine's best-selling in seven years -- was a publicity coup for Jolie, the Oscar winner who talked about her fondness for knives before transforming herself into a philanthropist, U.N. good-will ambassador and devoted mother of six.

In the People interview, there were questions about her and Pitt's charity work and no use of the word "Brangelina," the tabloid amalgamation of their names, which irks the couple.

People magazine, which is owned by Time Inc., released a statement denying that any conditions were placed on coverage. "These claims are categorically false. Like any news organization, People does purchase photos, but the magazine does not determine editorial content based on the demands of outside parties," it said.

While all celebrities seek to manipulate their public images to one degree or another, Jolie accomplishes it with a determination, a self-reliance and a degree of success that is particularly notable. The actress does not employ a publicist or an agent. The keys to her public image belong to her alone, although she does rely on her manager, Geyer Kosinski, as a conduit.

When Jennifer Lopez sold pictures of her twins to People for an estimated $6 million in February, she had a team of eight to help her navigate the process.

Jolie, 33, had her cell phone, a lawyer and Kosinski (and, of course, the counsel of her partner, Pitt). Getty Images handled the photography and some negotiations.

"She's scary smart," said Bonnie Fuller, the former editor of Us Weekly and Star magazines. "But smart only takes you so far. She also has an amazing knack, perhaps more than any other star, for knowing how to shape a public image."

Neither Jolie nor Kosinski responded to interview requests. Her lawyer, Robert Offer, declined to comment. But through interviews with nearly two dozen people who have worked with her over the years, a picture emerges of how she skillfully works the media.

Jolie expertly walks a line between known entity and complete mystery, cultivates relationships with friendly reporters and even sets up her own photo shoots for the paparazzi.

Most skillfully, she dictates terms to celebrity magazines involving their coverage of her and her family, editors say, creating an awkward situation for publications that try to abide by strict journalistic standards.

In a 2006 negotiation with People, Jolie invited magazine editors to bid on exclusive photos of her and her son Maddox. But she made coverage of her charity work part of the deal.

Shifting the focus is one of Jolie's best maneuvers, publicity executives say. When she became romantically involved with Pitt, for instance, she faced a public relations crisis -- being portrayed in the tabloids as a predator who stole Pitt from his wife, Jennifer Aniston.

It was Jolie's charity work that helped turn the story. Long interested in humanitarian work, Jolie appeared in Pakistan, where she visited camps housing Afghan refugees, and even met with President Pervez Musharraf. Jolie and Pitt made a subsequent trip to Kashmir to bring attention to earthquake victims.

Trevor Neilson, the president of the Global Philanthropy Group and Jolie's philanthropic adviser, said, "She is used to sell magazines and newspapers, so ... if Angie can use the interest and redirect it, she wants to do that."