Jon Meacham Is Going To Save Newsweek (After He Finishes Taping His New PBS Show)

by Colby Hall | 3:16 pm, May 10th, 2010

» 13 comments

It’s fair to say that Jon Meacham currently has a LOT on his plate. As you probably have already heard, Newsweek (the magazine that he oversees) was effectively put on the block by its parent, the Washington Post Company last week. Last week he published a letter from the editor outlining the urgent task ahead (though oddly failing to explain exactly what that task was.) Oh, and last week PBS aired the first episode of Need to Know, his new news magazine on PBS. Perhaps its time for Mr. Meacham to focus on just one project at a time?

As we reported last week, the news that owners of Newsweek were exploring sale of the news weekly didn’t necessarily come as a huge surprise to anyone familiar to the ups and downs of magazine publishing. However, the timing of such an announcement was odd: Meacham had previously booked an appearance on The Daily Show, though not to rally support for his magazine, but rather promote his new PBS show (which he co-hosts with former MSNBC anchor Alison Stewart.) The fact that news broke on the day of his appearance to promote a different project not only changed the tenor of the conversation, but raised questions if, in hindsight, Meacham’s efforts may have been better used solely focusing on Newsweek, instead of putting together a weekly television program.

In the Letter from the Editor from this week’s issue, Meacham explains both the market forces behind the the news of the sale and the restated mission of the magazine. Near the end he uses an odd turn of phrase , that he may come to later regret:

There is a place for NEWSWEEK in some form in a fragmented culture. We represent an opportunity to focus the attention of a large number of people on a single topic. The moment of focus may be fleeting, but there are fewer and fewer common denominators left in American life, and the conversation is not going to be enriched by having fewer still. We are not the only catcher in the rye standing between democracy and the abyss of ignorance and despair. We are one of them, though, and the task now is to find the right economic and digital means to meet our traditional ends while trying to discover a sustainable business model. Our challenges are not unique, but that does not really matter. They are still our challenges, and we must meet them.

Odd that he claims that the very fragmented culture that challenges the existence of Newsweek, is one that he has personally benefited from quite handsomely. Maybe Meacham, the best-selling author who also happens to sit atop Mediaite’s Power Grid as the most influential Magazine Editor, should be worried less about his audience’s alleged lack of focus and more of his own.

Below is a video clip released on YouTube just ten days ago. In it you will hear Meacham speak about the “challenges of informing an audience” about the “events of a week” and what it says about “citizenship” and a “globalized world” that no has fewers voice on which you can count. In a “gallows humor” sort of way, its actually kind of funny. But also kind of sad.

Alison Stewart, Jon Meacham, Need to Know, Newsweek, PBS

TylerDurden

Jon and his lib buddies ruined this magazine and now they will pay for it.
badr

“No, I don’t — We’re not a partisan magazine. We’re just not.”
“I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God.”

Good luck to the moron.
aimlowjoe

This guy dumbed down Newsweek to were it was embarrassingly unreadable. It is unrecognizable. He turned into Newsweek lite. There is no article more than one page long.
Good Riddance. Jon Meacham is one creepy dude. His bio says he is 41. He looks 50 at least. What happened?

From Wikipedia: During his 4 year tenure as editor the magazine has been repositioned (reducing circulation and raising prices) and has generated increasing financial losses leading to its parent company, Washington Post, announcing its intention to sell the magazine (announced May 5, 2010)[3]

Translation: He ruined an American Institution. But I am sure he will land on his feet. His ilk always does.
Aimlow Joe
http://www.aimlow.com
Moderate

Obama should bail out Newsweek. Otherwise, he will lose an important mouthpiece. He can hike tax on Fox, and distribute the money to Newsweek.
TylerDurden

Hey, Jon , maybe it was the opinion piece you published before the election saying the USA was racist if BHO wasn’t elected.
felixw

It’s not worth saving Newsweek, which has just become a propaganda arm of the Obama administration. Who wants to buy a magazine that is little more than a weekly puff piece for the glorious leader? Maybe Obama could buy it out, but from any realistic point of view, he already owns Newsweek.
timzank

If they fold, there won’t be anything left at the doctors office to read except HighLights.
felixw

Maybe they can start putting President Obama’s picture on the cover of each issue of HighLights.
SpellCheck

I was a Newsweek subscriber for over 20 years.
It used to be where I would go to the weekly news, but more in-depth. During the 2008 election it became a cheerleader for the democrats. The factual, unbiased news was replaced by a magazine of commentary.
TylerDurden

SpellCheck, I have been a subscriber for just as long and will not renew my subscription. Never have I seen a rag become such an extension of an administration and be so biased in favor of the liberal philosophy.
Zakk

Someone pointed out last week that it was a little over a year ago that Newsweek predicted the demise of the Tea Party… Whoops! Maybe they should have spent a little more time writing articles that people wanted to read instead of just pushing Left Wing Talking Points.
ex political-media hack

I know you will all join me in saying Good Riddance to the mag that became trashy propaganda in 2007/2008 and had the audacity to still use the word “News” in its title.

I had been a subscriber since high school and I cancelled them in 2008. I wonder if they can guess why. I am very proud I contributed in my own small way to their demise after their treatment of Hillary. I know there were many who did the same for the same reason. Be happy. We just got rid of a really slanted rag that was once actually a news magazine.
Helix

Another former Newsweek reader here, who feels the quality went severely downhill. Just another propaganda arm of the DNC now, sadly. And it doesn’t even make good birdcage liner or fire starting material. Jon is more worried about his future in television than saving Newsweek. Ironicially, the Tea party may well outlive this failed rag, which is losing quite a bit of money I hear.