Newsweek clams upon U.S. flag in trash Magazine fails to respond to criticism over anti-American magazine covers
By Ron Strom© 2005 Despite receiving national TV and Internet media attention for its international magazine editions that have been branded as anti-American and even treasonous, Newsweek has refused to respond to the growing criticism.
,Newsweek, still reeling from its forced retraction of the Quran-in-the-toilet story, has been hammered for publishing anti-American cover images and stories overseas that did not appear in the U.S.
Japanese edition of Feb. 2 Newsweek
While a Japanese edition of Newsweek dated Feb. 2 published a cover story featuring an American flag in a trash can under the headline, "The day America died," and the international edition featured a photo of President Bush with the headline, "America Leads ... But Is Anyone Following?," the U.S. edition cover story was an "Oscar Confidential" featuring Hilary Swank, Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The cover story in the foreign editions, titled, "Dream on, America," about what Newsweek characterized as "the world's rejection of the American way of life," did not run in the U.S. edition of the magazine.
Multiple calls to Newsweek, including several messages left with Communications Director Ken Weine, went unanswered this week.
Meanwhile, blogs are further investigating the story, with one publishing a partial translation of the article from the Japanese edition, which was penned by Andrew Moravcsik.
International edition of Feb. 2 Newsweek
According to a translation on RickAdams.org, a precede to the story reads: "Although Bush calls for an 'expansion of freedom,' the world is not yearning after the 'country of freedom,' the United States, any longer. New evidence of a decline of the United States in every sphere has been confirmed."
An editor's note states: "'Since Newsweek is an American magazine, why would it tell us of problems with Bush?' we are occasionally asked in an ironic tone. However, we do not take sides, but only analyze the meaning of events from various viewpoints. Perhaps this has led to misunderstandings.
U.S. edition of Feb. 2 Newsweek
"What have Americans lost due to the Bush administration in the last four years, and what will the world lose in the next four years? Verified facts, not opinions from any viewpoint, are laid forth in the special report in this issue."
Another description of the report states: "The era in which every corner of the globe yearned for the freedom and equality of America has ended. The brightness of the American dream has faded, while the influence of anti-American sentiment, and the EU, has grown. We examine the cause of this decline in politics, the economy and foreign policy."
Japanese cover with headlines translated to English. (Image: RickAdams.org.)
"It's one thing for Newsweek to actively promote the notion that America is a 'dead,' 'rotting' country overseas," wrote the blogsite Riding Sun. "But it's quite another thing indeed to hide those efforts from its American readers. If Newsweek really think America is dead, and our flag belongs in the trash, why won't it tell us?"