Let me start by saying that my intention is not to bash Newsweek as much as possible. But the revamped newsmag just keeps giving me opportunities to chirp. I find so many problems, or just under-par production that Newsweek almost begs me to complain about itself, whereas its competitor, Time magazine, never hits me the wrong way (but wait until Joel Stein gets me riled up again).
This week it's one of those massive photos that Newsweek runs with no refer or other note of importance — basically a standalone photo that carries tons of questions and no answers. This photo (seen here, with the original photo), of Dick Cheney slicing up some meat at home with his family, was doctored to emphasize a quote that was superimposed over it — a quote about torture.
I've already talked about hating these huge, standalone photos, and this photo embodies everything that is wrong with this Newsweek practice. It's misleading, sensational, and has virtually no news value — especially if it doesn't refer to a later story where the facts can be explained.
Newsweek has said that its new version will be better journalism, and less celebrity- and general-life-focused, but these photo debacles show they've really taken a step back.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment