I’m kinda surprised that Fishbowl DC hasn’t mentioned this yet, but if you opened the insert package to your WaPo this Saturday or Sunday you might have noticed that Parade magazine’s cover story was an interview with Benazir Bhutto… which made no mention of her death and in fact had a header that said “Is she America’s best hope?”
I think I can say with some confidence: No.
NPR did a story on the matter yesterday and an AP story says that Parade went to press on December 21, a week before her assassination, and shipped the magazine to distributing papers shortly thereafter. I was kind of surprised by this – since the print edition contains the Washington Post’s masthead on the top I’d assumed that papers that distribute it print their own versions for inclusion.
Which is why I’m surprised they didn’t pull it – I think it makes them look bad to include such amazingly stale news. It’s one thing for a standalone magazine to hit the stands looking like this, but this is included in a daily paper already trying to remain relevant and current against the tide of 24 hour tv cable news and their own internet site. I’m sure that the drumbeat of ad dollars were the driving force here – it sure wasn’t reputation or pride.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
Well I used to say something in my profile about not quite being a “tinker, tailor, soldier, or spy” but Tom stole that for our about us page, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to express that I am a man of many interests.
Hmm, guess I just did.
My tastes run the gamut from sophomoric to Shakespeare and in my “professional” life I’ve sold things, served beer, written software, and carried heavy objects… sometimes at the same place. It’s that range of loves and activities that makes it so easy for me to love DC – we’ve got it all.
