Newsweek, fighting for survival, drifts toward irrelevancy
Filed under: Media
About a year ago, media critic Michael Wolff predicted that Newsweek would go out of business "sometime around the fourth quarter of next year" -- i.e., right around now. That doesn't look like it's going to come true. But nor does it look as far off the mark as Newsweek's parent, the Washington Post Co. (WPO), might hope.Last week, the magazine laid off a dozen employees in its third round of staff downsizing in less than two years. But Newsweek is shrinking in other ways as well: Ad pages are down 29% year-over-year, while the circulation guarantee is slated to be reduced to 1.5 million in January, down more than 50% from its pre-2008 level.
The New York Times (NYT) sees "glimmers of progress" in all this, noting that the Washington Post Co.'s magazine division -- meaning Newsweek, more or less -- has managed to substantially slow the rate at which it's bleeding (although that's a far cry from becoming "slightly more profitable," as the Times's media blog erroneously puts it).
But those glimmers are faint enough. Newsweek's current strategy is to court a smaller, demographically more elite audience by offering them a product less like the newsweekly of yore and more like The Economist: heavy on opinion and analysis, light on reporting. It's also to harness the power of the blogosphere and the 24-hour cable news cycle by stirring the pot with attention-grabbing stunts, like an issue guest-edited by Stephen Colbert, and this week's cover, which features Sarah Palin in a pair of thigh-revealing running shorts.
It's far from clear, however, what Newsweek gains by trading journalistic heft for something as ephemeral as buzz. That Colbert issue didn't sell especially well on the newsstand. And while the phrase "Newsweek Sarah Palin" made an appearance in Google Trends Monday morning, the attribution of that cover photo -- originally taken for Runner's World -- only serves to underscore the magazine's lack of pull. Palin herself panned the cover, and Newsweek, in a Facebook message, calling it "sexist" and "out of context."
Time magazine's Person of the Year issue may be something of a joke, but at least it's a signature joke. (Like DailyFinance, Time is -- for now -- part of Time Warner Inc. (TWX).) Newsweek could use a similar franchise to distinguish itself. Otherwise, it risks becoming just one more voice in the media cacophony, with ever less to say, and saying it ever louder.
This story was updated on Tuesday, November 17 to include Sarah Palin's reaction to the Newsweek cover.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 54)
11-16-2009 @ 2:05PM
patricio said...
The sooner this liberal / progressive rag disappears the better. We have had enough of the BS spouted by MSNBC, Time, and Newsweek. These are just attack mags and a cable outlet used by the Democrats to flood the airwaves and newsstands with DNC tripe.
Save some trees and get rid of both of them.
Reply
11-16-2009 @ 4:41PM
dbluefish said...
And Fox News is what, chopped liver? If Newsweek is so liberal, it only serves to balance things from the CNN and Fox negativity and right wing rhetoric.
paul
11-16-2009 @ 8:29PM
Mark said...
I don't care for either Time or Newsweek, but trees are a renewable resource!
11-17-2009 @ 8:11PM
Bob said...
patrico--I am sure you prefer fox noise!
11-17-2009 @ 8:30PM
Glen said...
Attack mags??? You mean like Fox News Network? Here is the pot calling the kettle black.
11-17-2009 @ 9:05PM
Oscarano said...
Considering that the opposite of progressive is regressive, it's kind of a stretch to make a slur out the term, isn't it? Then again, most conservatives want to confiscate womens' shoes and keep them knocked up, so that would fit.
11-17-2009 @ 9:07PM
bluefish said...
seems to me Glen, that the rags like the Washington compost and the NY slime with CNN, MSNBC and CBS, ABC seem to be more of the liberal tripe you seem to level at Fox in being to the right. Atleast be honest in your comments for once not intellectually and factually dishonest as you wrote those to be.
11-17-2009 @ 9:16PM
Stoney said...
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THIS B**** SHE QUIT HER JOB AS GOVERNOR SO WHY WOULD ANYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND VOTE FOR HER AS PRESIDENT. SHE SHOULD HAVE FINISISHED HER JOB AS GOVERNOR BEFORE SHE STARTED ALL OF THIS MEDIA ATTENTION. SHE WANTS TO USE HER SEXUALITY TO HER ADVANTAGE BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE DOES IT, THEY ARE SEXIST. WHAT A WORLD WE LIVE IN.
11-17-2009 @ 9:47PM
jonny racer said...
Get more pictures of that sexy a^^ body of hers...nice..who cares about her idiot mind...get more pictures of that NICE body....oh yea....
11-17-2009 @ 10:25PM
James said...
Palin says Newsweek will do anything for attention? She should talk. Look at the kettle calling the pot black. Palin, just go away.....please just go away.
11-17-2009 @ 10:29PM
Jack Davis said...
Patricio,
I believe you've hit the nail on the head. All liberal garbage.
11-17-2009 @ 10:43PM
Elizabeth said...
Right on, that's why so many liberals are here complaining and throwing their poison.
11-17-2009 @ 10:59PM
Amalathuentha said...
patricio, you seem to forget that we live in a democracy and that different opinions are what makes it strong. Your comment only shows a very apolitical mindset, i.e. a mindset that one of America's greatest poets summarized with: "Four legs bad, two legs good". You have obviously never been behind the iron curtain or a system that promotes innerparty "democracy". Well, neither the extreme left nor the extreme right are well educated in political "discourse". They just love to yell at each other. Apes have more intelligent ways of conflict resolution. Ironically, they can move both on four and two legs :-)..
11-17-2009 @ 10:48PM
Lydia said...
My GOD...what hypocrisy! As if Beck, Hannity and O'Reilly shouldn't be thrown off the air with their lies and bigotry.They don't use the RNC for their hateful agenda? Give me a BREAK...I'm not even a Democratic and I can tell that those 3 are CRAP.
11-17-2009 @ 10:58PM
CTG said...
Idiot.
11-17-2009 @ 11:00PM
Lannie said...
Palin ......................Bush Junior! Duh! :)
11-17-2009 @ 11:10PM
MacLeod said...
Amen!
11-17-2009 @ 11:14PM
Bruce said...
Come on, you big Whiny Republicans! There is NO QUESTION but that Palin POSED for that picture (how else to explain it?)-- so she hardly has the right to bellyache when it gets published! Just another opportunity for her to claim "discrimination" or "sexism". The really sad thing about it is her chubby little legs!
11-17-2009 @ 11:15PM
jdcapshew said...
So you don't like liberals, fine. When the right wing can only cough up a hairball like Sarah Palin to lionize, your wingers are going to be an insignificant angry minority.
11-17-2009 @ 11:21PM
Don said...
I agree! Let's have more good, honest, fair commentary by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the rest of the good people at Fox news!
Enough of this liberal bull hockeyl