Journalistic Mysogyny

Just read a couple of posts on blogs that I would not have thought, ever in a million years, would comment derisively on a left leaning weekly glossy magazine. Bogth mediamatters.com and hulabuloo, left, to far left organizations are slamming Newsweek for the abysmal choice of cover photographs.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/gamming-up-works-by-digby-joan-walsh.html

Joan Walsh was just on MSNBC this morning arguing that it was sexist to put Palin on the cover of Newsweek in her running shorts, when she obviously didn't pose in that particular outfit for that particular cover. Others on the show disagreed, saying that Palin just happens to be a politician who has nice legs. I think Joan is right, especially considering what is being said about the Palin Phenomenon among the village media in general:

That's just for starters on hullabaloo. Digby goes to great lengths to rightly hammer Newsweek.

Media matters is even worse...

Newsweek should worry more about how to solve its problem with sexism
November 17, 2009 3:16 pm ET by Julie Millican

There are a lot of legitimate reasons to criticize Sarah Palin, her new book, and her policies, but you don't have to stoop to sexism to do it. Newsweek's November 23 issue, however, does just that by publishing on its cover a photo of Palin in short running shorts and a fitted top, leaning against the American flag. Making matters worse is the equally offensive headline Newsweek editors chose to run alongside the photo -- "How Do You Solve a Problem like Sarah?" -- presumably a reference to the Sound of Music song, "Maria," in which nuns fret about "how" to "solve a problem like Maria," a "girl" who "climbs trees" and whose "dress has a tear."

Needless to say, I was very surprised at both their headline, but the lead paragraph as well.

The treatment that Hillary Clinton (whom sometimes I used to think of as being the anti-christ...prior to the advent of Barack of course) has treated horrendously by the MSM during the run up to the primaries. Once actually voting started, major media's utter bias toward Barack Obama began to genuinely shine through, so much so, they utterly failed to vet him at all during the campaign.

On the other hand, their "vetting" of Mrs. Palin has been minute. It continues to this day with AP wire service devoting 11, ELEVEN journalists to use a fine toothed comb on Mrs. Palin's book. My question is, how many did they assign to Mr. Obama's two books? Any at all. I cound't find any record of any.

So, my hat is off to Media Matters and Digby of Hullabaloo for their posts. Thank you both for standing up and doing the right thing.