Newsweek Denigrates as a “Rant” a Book About Liberal TV Women

Media Research Center ^ | 2-24-04 | Brent Baker

[FlyLow]

A new book exposing liberal bias in women’s magazines and among female TV stars, by a former editor of Ladies’ Home Journal, was denigrated in the latest Newsweek as a “political rant,” full of “sneers” about the expensive tastes of Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer. The magazine added the gossip that the author has betrayed friends in a desperate bid to become a “right-wing pundit,” a “sad” swan song for “someone over 60,” even “an act of arson.”

[The MRC’s Tim Graham submitted this item for CyberAlert.]

Newsweek General Editor Peg Tyre described the book -- “Spin Sisters: How the Women of the Media Sell Unhappiness and Liberalism to the Women of America,” by Myrna Blyth -- as part-rant and part-dish, full of wild conspiracy theories: “Equal parts political rant and industry tell-all, the book offers an acid portrait of what Blyth calls a liberal female media cabal. In Blyth's world, Katie, Diane, Barbara and a dozen or so women's-magazine editors are conspiring to rob millions of otherwise intelligent women of their self-confidence and good sense.”

Tyre’s short piece in the March 1 issue overlooked Blyth’s focus on how the networks run scare stories which paint women as victims of nefarious elements beyond their control, from supposedly bad products in need of regulation to the lack of research into health threats, a theme for which Blyth obtained examples from the MRC.

Tyre reported that Blyth found that Katie Couric “has a $7,500-a-week personal trainer and spends $550 on a cut and color...Diane Sawyer, Blyth sneers, portrays herself as an intellectual who's uninterested in fashion when all the while she's married to a famous movie director and wears Armani.”

Tyre ended by suggesting that Blyth is personally sleazy for turning on friends to get a new career started: “The book has set off a firestorm among Blyth's targets, many of whom have considered her a friend for years. Couric and Sawyer wouldn't comment, but Good Housekeeping editor Ellen Levine calls the book 'sad.’ 'Blyth had all the power at Ladies' Home Journal,’ says Levine. 'If she knew how to produce a better magazine, she could have done it.’ Glamour editor Cindi Leive dismisses the book as an 'an act of arson.’ Others say it's Blyth's bid to return to the media spotlight, this time as a right-wing pundit. 'This is someone over 60,’ says Cosmo editor Kate White, 'who wants to create a big-enough stir to get on TV.’ Bookers, take note.”

Amazon.com provides a fuller take on the content of the Blyth book:

Blowing the whistle on a job she herself did for over ten years at Ladies Home Journal as editor-in-chief, Blyth reveals the almost institutionalized selling of a liberal/do-gooders message to women through characterizing women themselves as victims. Playing on women's compassion and ability to be hooked into 'uplifting’ stories with a moral or happy ending, American media has convinced the most well-educated, rich and healthy audience in history that they are miserable. She dissects why: -- liberal celebrities' messages aren't scrutinized and in fact presented with a halo of approval -- middle class American women have been sold stress as the new scourge of modern life -- media paints a negative picture of women's lives today, at exactly the moment when women have more money, privilege and choices than ever before -- the club of liberal women who run magazines and television shows have an outsize and lock-step affect on what we "know" about the major issues of the day -- the incestuous relationship between celebrities and media has corrupted journalism -- magazines rarely tell stories about the majority of women whose conservative views don't mesh with their own

END Excerpt from Amazon.com

Amazon’s page on Blyth’s book: www.amazon.com

Blyth is not the first to detect a liberal tilt in women’s magazines. In 1996, the MRC published a Special Report in cooperation with the group Consumer Alert titled, “Women’s Magazines: A Liberal Pipeline to Soccer Moms.” In studying 13 women’s and family magazines from October 1995 to September 1996, the study had two primary findings:

-- “There were 115 positive portrayals of government activism and/or calls for more. There were only 18 negative portrayals and/or calls for less. Twenty-three stories went beyond promoting bigger government -- they also asked readers to lobby government officials on behalf of expanded government programs.”

-- “In 56 articles or mentions of science and risk issues, 35 were one-sided and did not acknowledge a skeptical view that the risks depicted were minor and the alarmist views presented go against mainstream science.”

See: www.mrc.org

For the March 1 Newsweek article: msnbc.msn.com

# Speaking of liberal women on network TV, Barbara Walters is scheduled to appear on Tuesday’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC and Diane Sawyer Wednesday night on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman.

[squarebarb]

Long past time for an expose like this. Buy the book from Amazon. These women are in a constant state of liberal status panic.

[reformedliberal]

I stopped reading these magazines 30 years ago and this is precisely why. In addition, they all utilize a formula and repeat the same stories w/different specifics every few months. Not worth the time or the money, IMO.

OTOH, if someone is making several million dollars a year and wants to blow it on a $350k/yr personal trainer, that is their right. Wear whatever, go to whatever hair stylist, it doesn't matter to me. I have very wealthy friends who blanch at what I will spend to add to my antique collection and I am not wealthy. When I sell my antiques, I will realize a wonderful profit, but, again: that is no one else's business.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - LIBERAL - LEFT

[Dianna]

OTOH, if someone is making several million dollars a year and wants to blow it on a $350k/yr personal trainer, that is their right.

I absolutely agree, EXCEPT when these same people insist that I must pay more taxes to take care of "the poor". If their concern is so deep, they've got the money to help out. I have neither the extra money, nor the concern, in most cases, to get involved.

[vpintheak]

You meant paying more taxes to "paying your fair share." Those 4 words are rapidly making their way to the top of my most hated list.

[NYCVirago]

The politics aside, what's so hypocritical about these attacks is that Ms. Magazine and other feminists have said essentially the same things about women's magazines -- that the magazines are designed to make women feel badly about themselves, and to encourage them to buy the advertisers' products to assuage this unhappiness. Heck, both Naomi Wolf and Susan Faludi have written books on this very subject!

[Maria S]

"Katie Couric ...spends $550 on a cut and color."


WOW!! What a waste of money! Every time I've seen her, her hair looks pretty grim...at least to me.

[Stellar Dendrite]

bump

[stylin_geek]

I find it hard to believe it actually comes out of her pocket. I would think NBC would pick up the tab for her color and cut, because she is such a "star."

[reformedliberal]

And I agree w/you on that.

My support of the poor extends to offering work to those who need it and who can do the job. I have had people turn me down because I don't offer enough hours to compete w/welfare and I have had grateful people take the work, go on to find more to add to it and get themselves back up out of a bad situation.

Back in the 70s, my husband's response to panhandlers was to invite them home for a meal. Not one ever accepted.

Basically, though, I encourge everyone to ignore these famous people as much as possible. It is their ratings, garnered from our reading or watching them, that gives them the leverage to demand their high salaries. Those salaries make them think they actually have something to say.

It isn't like they are adding value to anything, as far as I can tell. Mostly, their jobs can be filled by any attractive person w/the requisite poise, appearance and speech training.

[freekitty]

I agree and is Oprah part of this book? She has been selling this unhappiness to women for quite sometime.

[an amused spectator]

Newsweak's Peg Tyre does a "hit" on Myrna Blyth.

Blyth has the temerity to "out" Al-Katie Qouric's $375,000 a year personal trainer.

[Xenalyte]

Katie Couric “has a $7,500-a-week personal trainer and spends $550 on a cut and color

Frankly, if I had the money, I'd spend that much on cut and color. Cheap color isn't worth the money one saves.

I pay a good deal for my 'do, and I consider it worth every penny to have hair of a color I could have been born with, not one that can be easily identified by stock number.

[Xenalyte]

middle class American women have been sold stress as the new scourge of modern life

I've never figured out why this lie works. Life has stresses, ups and downs - gut up, grow a pair, and live.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks for sending this along. Interesting info on my "favorite" morning talk show host!

By the way, I consider spending anything over $325,000 per year on a personal trainer a bit excessive. ;-)

[an amused spectator]

By the way, I consider spending anything over $325,000 per year on a personal trainer a bit excessive. ;-)

You're such a frugal type, glgb - I've always liked that about you. :-)

[Robert A Cook PE]

Yes.

(And even those of us who admire your "do" aren't going to say otherwise.)


Lest we be parted from our do. 8<)

[an amused spectator]

Were you on Timesink's Media Shenanigans/Schadenfreude ping lists, Bob? I'm starting up a public one, and I'm going to keep the list on my FR page.

[Xenalyte]

Ooooh, I'd love to be on it! I also just like saying "shenanigans."