Obama to Pen Cover Story on Haiti and the Earthquake for Newsweek

WSJ ^ | January 14, 2010 | Russell Adams

[Baladas]

Like at a lot of publications, Newsweek was forced to start its week over when the earthquake hit Haiti.

Give the magazine credit for an artful recovery. The Washington Post Co.-owned publication has tapped President Barack Obama to pen a cover story on Haiti for the Jan. 25 issue hitting newsstands on Monday.

Newsweek was readying a story about the Google-China row when the earthquake hit. Editor Jon Meacham scrapped his plans and hit the phones in search of the highest authority he could find to weigh in, according to a person familiar with the matter. He reached David Axelrod, senior adviser to Obama, who asked his boss if he was game.

Getting Obama to write an essay about the Haiti tragedy is a coup for the struggling magazine and aligns squarely with its new strategy. Newsweek lost $25 million in the first half of 2009, and the Post Co. last year reinvented the magazine, cutting its staff and shifting its focus from news reporting to commentary.

[JennysCool]

I can't believe how disturbed I was when I saw the footage of Haiti after the earthquake which I heard about on my Blackberry just seconds after I had concluded my latest meeting on health care. I immediately called my associates and I sprang into action.

[don-o]

We can’t post from The Onion.

[Neverforget01]

Why not? Keep him busy so he can do less harm.

[Dallas59]

Haiti Earthquake:

THE FAULT OF BUSH and CLIMATE CHANGE!

[oldbrowser]

Maybe when he gets done with that and his many vacation he can do some of the work he has been too busy to do.

On second thought, maybe it is better if he just stays busy wasting time.

[Petronski]

I hope Ayers can have it ready in time....I just can't wait to read it.

[Salvation]

Ridiculous.....why doesn’t he do some decent governing instead?

[dljordan]

” Now they’ve got him writing propoganda for them for a change.”

It’s a wonder he’s got time between vacations.

[ebshumidors]

And if the military takes casualties from the looting? Not good.

[Fresh Wind]

Wonder how they will pay him.

Easy. Time needs a "bailout"...

[Fresh Wind]

Ack! I meant Newsweak!

[imskylark]

Never let a crisis go to waste.

[J Edgar]

I have to think this is total BS. How can you run a country, with dire economic. military, and global terrorist challenges AND write for a News Organization?
“Impossible!” I say.

This is just another writing assignment for Bill Ayers - IMHO.

[Soul Seeker]

Who’s ghost writing it?

[Fresh Wind]

THE FAULT OF BUSH and CLIMATE CHANGE!

Of course. The evil Bushes and Big Oil are sucking so much oil out of Mother Earth that she is shriveling up like a raisin. As she shrinks, earthquakes happen. So, yes, it's Bush's fault.

[MaxMax]

Now he wants the Pulitzer?

[browniexyz]

Since when does the Dear Leader have time to WRITE A STORY for Newsweek?? Boy Newsweek is scraping the bottom of the barrel for journalists!!!!!!!!!

[mockingbyrd]

10% unemployment, CIA agents being murdered in Afganistan, collapsing dollar and he’s writing stories??????

[tiger63]

“Who writes for him”

Think of the most ADD child who grew up in a drug filled home, no father and 5 other brothers and sisters with different fathers.

The mother is on gov-mint welfare and child support from 5 unknown sperm suppliers and “bingo” you have the author.

[SteamShovel]

Boy Newsweek is scraping the bottom of the barrel for journalists!

Their new slogan is.....Newsweak is Weaknews.