September 13, 2009
Newsweek Cover: Colluding With the Wingnuts
The phrase is at once politically brilliant and horribly misleading.
– Newsweek’s Jon Meacham in cover article regarding the term “death panels.”
I don’t care how reasoned these articles might be (1, 2), this Newsweek cover is totally irresponsible. Validating and reinforcing both the wingnut “death panel” and “killing granny” mantras, I guarantee you’ll see this cover being waved around all Fall — on top of the hundreds Palin will surely delight in putting her own John Hancock on.
7 Comments Leave a comment
Chris said:
Newsweek is horrible, the worst sort of re-gurgitation of the worst sort of conventional wisdom.
Bill Lenner said:
This is truly sad. Since teabaggers can’t read much beyond the headlines, Newsweek is validating all their ideas right there though they think they are more balanced inside. But, I’m guessing that they know that already.
Wordsmith said:
“I Was a Teenage Death Panelist”
Please tell me that’s a story on vampires …..
bystander said:
What this leads me to wish for is the death of traditional media. Euthanasia of these outlets would produce the same public benefit as euthanizing a rabid animal. It would be an act of charity.
Kit said:
Horrible, just horrible. I’ve been “on vacation” from the news since early this year. I thought it was bad then, but dang, it’s gone beyond criminal and into the realm of evil.
Kris said:
I think this all part of Newsweek’s plot to become known as the magazine of snark. Remember that issue with the balloon on the cover about the end of the recession? As soon as I got this issue in the mail I knew this site was going to call it out.
kikcstand said:
It’s quite brilliant, actually. They are taking a know-nothing knee-jerk phrase and looking at the real societal issue behind it. Whether, and how do we pay for extreme end-of-life measures? It’s an issue that we need to discuss in a mature way.
Does anybody besides Newsweek have the guts to do that?