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.

[VastRWCon]

EVERYONE on this thread is missing the point. The point is the DEAR LEADER CARES and the story is NOT about the poor people of Haiti, but about DEAR LEADER and how much he cares for them. It does not matter who wrote this, it only matters that DEAR LEADER get the credit.

[constitutiongirl]

Did you receive an advance copy?? :)

[Shqipo]

NewsWeak ranted about Bush not solving all the sufferings of the 2004 Tsunami in the first 72 hours. That was a disaster 8000 miles away... Haiti is 200, and they haven't bemoaned about Obama’s inability to do much of anything (other than to have as assistant pen some soothing words for them).

[FrdmLvr]

LOL!

[FrdmLvr]

LOL!

[tfbcowinafog]

Now he wants the Pulitzer?

No, now he's working on an encore, Pulitzer II.

[clintonh8r]

I’m sure the rules of engagement are a nightmare.