politics

Un-covering the News

June 29, 2004

Last week, Newsweek‘s cover story was … turmoil in Iraq? Tightening election campaign in the U.S.? Startling news on the medical front? Nope — not even close. The magazine’s cover story was … hey, look, there’s a movie about a superhero who thinks he’s a bug.

This week, Time magazine one-upped its competitor. Its cover story is … a look back (200 years back, as it happens) at Thomas Jefferson.

What’s going on here? We understand that the news magazines feel compelled to offer their readers spinach one week and ice cream the next. And we understand that summer is traditionally the slow season for news, so the magazines have developed a sort of knee-jerk response to the dog days of no news by preparing cover stories on stuff like … well, like a movie about a comic book character, or the state of the United States, circa 1804.

But come on. This summer, we’re about as steeped in breathtaking news as we can be — and yet the Big Two are behaving as if it’s just another slow, sultry summer, time to dust off covers like “The Hula Hoop — Threat or Menace?” or drum up dubious fare like “Iggie and the Marauders Take Hip-Hop by Storm.”

Earth to newsmag editors: Read the papers. You might be surprised to learn what’s going on around you.

–Steve Lovelady

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Steve Lovelady was editor of CJR Daily.