Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam writes of his first job in journalism, at “now-foundering Newsweek,” which he describes as being “like an upside-down journalism school, where I learned an astonishing number of bad habits.” But it clearly gave him some valuable insights into how corporate journalism works:
I was an editorial assistant/fact-checker, with duties analogous to those of an 18th-century cabin boy in the Royal Navy…. In addition to pouring vodka I checked facts, a process that left me bleakly cynical about journalistic accuracy. We would publish whole stories that were lies—Francois Mitterrand’s plan to destroy the French economy was a recurring theme—but at least the names were spelled correctly. Two Ts, two Rs. I will never forget.
He also describes 1970s-era Newsweek‘s Cold War crusade, featuring the work of a future editor of the Washington Times:
We printed many “exclusives” by a remarkably tanned, anti-Communist crusader named Arnaud de Borchgrave, known as “the little count.” De Borchgrave would announce his masterpieces with the antiquated phrase “Three bells!” an allusion to the old wire-service tickers which used to chime bells touting stories of capital importance. Everyone laughed at de Borchgrave’s copy, but we printed it anyway.
And there you have what is meant by “liberal media”: Publishing right-wing propaganda, but privately making fun of it.
The “liberal media”‘s maxim:
“All the news that’s printed to fit”
Now, in 2010, Alex Beam says that back in the 1970’s Newsweek staffers laughed at the drivel they were printing, but they printed it anyway. That kinda makes you wonder…
What do you suppose they’re printing RIGHT NOW and laughing about.
Here’s my nomination: the air of injured innocence about the Iranian “nuclear program,” by the leaders of the US and Israel.
The US has thousands of nuclear weapons, Israel hundreds of them, Iran not a single solitary one, nor a program for getting one.
So who is the target of sanctions? Iran, of course.
Stay tuned. It’ll be revealed in another 3 decades or so.
Why do we remain in lockstep with Israel? Because of a flawed U.S. election campaign system which allows donors (including foreign countries and firms, like Israel and BP) to bribe our candidates. No wonder our federal legislature always supports the Israel agenda.
George Beres claims that Israel and its supporters are bribing American politicians to support Israel. This
jibes with his continual condemnation of Israel and Jews, but fails to recognize that Israel and its policies
are backed buy a large majority of Americans, from both parties.
George Ismach’s comment that the large majority of Americans support Israel reminds me of an old proverb: “He that listens to only one bell hears only one sound”. Pro-Israel propaganda, especially from the New York Times and the Washington Post, is relentless. Printing or airing a balanced point of view on the Arab-Israeli problem is strictly ‘Verboten!’ in the U.S. media.
I don’t know where Arnold Ismach receives his “large majority of Americans” who are backing Israel and its policies. Anti-Semitism aside, there are large numbers of Americans, as well as Israelis, who do not back the Israel and its policies.
Newsweek has often been a good news magazine over the years. Not always, of course. In 1967 they contributed to the political assassination of Michigan Governor George Romney, who had been honest enough to say he had been “brainwashed” on his first trip to Vietnam. Indeed, he had, as had most visiting officials. But Romney’s honesty and growing opposition to the war was treated as honesty often is by the media and political establishment, as a “gaff.” (Newsweek led the way in savaging Romney). So the Republicans nominated a less honest politician, Richard Nixon, who famously took both sides on the Vietnam war, saying we would “win the peace.” We all know how that turned out.
Newsweek turned itself into editorial week. No news, just editorials, all editorials. ALL EDITORIALS. Fuck you Jon Meachum. You destroyed a great Magazine. I just cancelled.