Pros: Compelling features/covers, analysis & perspectives on current events, entertaining, informative pop culture critics, middle-of-the-road viewpoints
Cons: Lacks in-depth articles, differ with viewpoints, high newsstand price for slim issues
The Bottom Line: Read Newsweek for ground breaking news stories about global events. Stay on top of advances in technology & science. Read timely information on health, money, business and society.
glomarrone's Full Review: Newsweek Magazine Subscription
Many people consider Newsweek to be a magazine for intellectuals only. This really isn’t so. The magazine isn’t heavy reading. Although I am not a subscriber, I read it as often as I can because I find topics interesting, timely and intriguing. I enjoy the lively viewpoints and different perspectives. Newsweek not only provides ground breaking news stories but also examines what the stories mean to us and the world. I try to read the most compelling stories in the current issue when I find Newsweek in reception rooms, airlines, bookstores, the library and also online. A neighbor regularly gives me back issues so I can catch up with what is in the rest of each issue. I have been reading Newsweek for almost five years.
Overall Content
Newsweek delivers comprehensive coverage and analysis of world and national events. Whatever news-breaking event is happening in the world, Newsweek is certain to cover it. Although the magazine mainly focuses on business, current events, finance, medicine, politics and science & technology, it also regularly covers lighter subjects such autos, pop culture, leisure, lifestyles, media and sports. There is something inside for everyone. Even when the magazine covers serious topics, it is often in an interesting lively way. Certain issues are Special Reports on Business & Technology or The War or Exclusives on Terrorism or perhaps a Special Issue on Movies.
Throughout 2002, Newsweek continues its terrific series, The Next Frontiers. These are up-to-the-minute special reports that explore how technology is changing our careers and the way we live. Each series covers the people, products and places that are changing our world. The magazine recently launched a new Science & Technology section, which contains major feature stories about cyberspace. Heading this new cyberspace section is Steven Levy who also write his regular Newsweek monthly column called “Random Access
Covers, Organization, Layout, Photography
The creative Newsweek covers really sell issues. Recent people covers have highlighted Clinton, George W. Bush & his father, terrorists and 9/11 heroes. Newsweek infrequently does Hollywood covers but when it does, they are often on promising actors and directors or about serious historical movies or ones that stir political or social debate. One recent cover was on 31-year old producer M. Night Shyamalan (“Sixth Sense,” “Signs”) – perhaps the next Spielberg? The cover of the current Jan 6 issue is on Hollywood’s Matrix phenomenon – a behind the scene look at the new 2003 releases of “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.” The issue is about trendsetters, opinion makers and leaders to watch in 2003. In contrast, last week Trent Lott was in the spotlight. Another show business cover this year is the September 2nd Dr. Phil cover.
Covers are often dramatic particularly when the subject is other than people. Some recent attention grabbing covers this year have been health related - Hepatitis C (April 22,) Botox (May 13,) Sleep (July 15,) HRT Therapy (July 22) and on religion (Aug 12.) Another unique August (19) cover was devoted to finance - 401Ks. Others concentrate on the war in Afghanistan and the Middle East conflict.
The Table of Contents is one page. In many recent issues, there is too much information crowded on one page with little organization. I’d prefer to see a cleaner division according to the six or so major news headings of: National Affairs, International Affairs, Business & Money, Science & Technology, Society, and Arts & Entertainment. The magazine is loosely organized into over 34 news areas including: Aging, Art, Books, Conventional Wisdom, Cyberscope, Dance, Design, Education, Family, Fashion, Health, Justice, Media, Medicine, Movies, Music, Transitions, Theater and Space. A large photo and small photos illustrate the content page.
Departments
This heading includes This Week Online, Periscope,Letters, My Turn, Perspectives, Newsmakers and Last Word. The Editor’s Desk is the weekly ˝ page Editor’s letter but it isn’t even listed in the Table of Contents. He uses the space to introduce main stories and put content into perspective. The editor explains messages behind the stories and why they are important. He also often included background information on the writers, columnists or subjects. This Week Online covers highlights of the coming week on the Website.
The Letter department has informative correspondence from readers who have their own definite opinions, viewpoints and perspectives on magazine articles. Newsweek receives approximately 4,000 letters each month. Many agree with past articles; others feel the magazine is mistaken. Newsweek prints a good balance. My Turn is an unusual column written by different readers. This one person’s view on life is always interesting and often stirs reaction from readers in the Letter department. Recent personal stories cover a wide range of topics such as kids & team sports, living on the edge, loving thy neighbors, living life to the fullest, thinking for yourself, reaching your potential, dangers of revealing your age, living next door to parents and surviving against the odds. This has been a popular department in the magazine for 30 years.
In the Periscope department, reporters cover new trends, innovative ideas and important people to watch. Articles are short, timely and interesting on a wide variety of topics. Often there are exclusive news scoops and reports on survey results. Some pieces profile or interview opinion makers and political leaders; others highlight national & international current events or major investigations. Sometimes there is a full-page history piece on a person or event. The current issue has pieces on Bush’s strategist Karl Rove, the suburban Montgomery County, MD Snipers, the new House Democratic Minority Leader and the high price housing market. Occasionally, there are reports of new trends in education, the food industry, merchandising and retail. In addition, there are lighter pop culture tidbits about new movie releases, entertainment awards, music festivals and Fast Chats with writers, Hollywood & TV stars or musicians – just to name a few. I always read this department because it keeps me on top of what is happening in so many different arenas. I especially enjoy Conventional Wisdom which uses arrows to show changes in public perceptions and opinions about issues, people and events in the news - the economy, sports, politics, war, crime, music awards.
Perspective is one page filled with notable and memorable quotes plus humorous sometimes cutting black and white cartoons on topics of the week. Newmakers is a one-page section appearing in the rear of issues. It covers the pop culture scene – mostly the entertainment field of Hollywood, TV and Music. Some issues have a brief interview with stars such as recent ones with singer, songwriter, actor Steve Earles, MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, publicist and author Dennis McNally, movie star Samuel L. Jackson, comedian Martin Lawrence and actor turned writer Ethan Hawke. While the interviews are fun, they are too short and I’m just not interested in them but I know many others are. There is usually a collage of candid photos that are entertaining for those who are celebrity followers.
The Last Word is a one-page commentary by two different writers that ends issues. Anna Quindlen usually writes her opinion about issues of current interest to Americans such as Plagiarism, 9/11, Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Living a Double Life, The Pledge of Allegiance, Entertainment and most recently, Organ Transplants. George F. Will, a Newsweek Contributing Editor is the more controversial and opinionated of the two. This scholarly Pulitzer Prize-winning writer recently wrote opinions in The Last Word on Nuclear War, US policy on Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Notions of Human Nature, UN and Women’s Rights – occasionally he addresses lighter topics such as sports. I may not always agree with their opinions but they present their facts well and both are very interesting. This thought-provoking department is a fine way to end issues, giving readers something about at the conclusion.
Rest of the Magazine
The remainder of the magazine covers different areas of interest each week depending on what is happening in the world. Some times there are topics on Tobacco, Disease, Sports, Leisure, Health and the Entertainment Industry. Other times, articles focus on War, Middle East Conflict, Politics, Government, Business and Technology. Religion, Education, Science, Law/Crime and Finance are also popular topics. Tip Sheet is an exciting new fun editorial section launched in May '02 that replaces Focus. One long feature and several smaller pieces cover consumer general interest topics such as Travel, Auto Industry, Sports, Fitness, Health, Money, Style and Games.
Enterprise, At the Crossroads of Business & Technology is a 10-page Business & Technology supplement bound inside issues that doesn’t appear regularly. It covers timely topics such as information on the Internet, Internet security, e-books, classified Web and the global impact of mobile phones. It includes good book reviews and interviews.
History, Circulation, Writers, Writing Style
The magazine published its first issue almost 70 years ago. The issue was called News-Week and it featured seven photographs of the top news stories. The Washington Post Company purchased the magazine in 1961. Newsweek has a worldwide circulation of more than 4 million. The US edition has a circulation of 3.1 million. Newsweek International is available in four English-language editions: Atlantic, Asia, Australia's The Bulletin with Newsweek and Latin America. Newsweek is distributed each week in over 190 countries. The first foreign language edition in Japanese was launched in 1986 followed in 1991 by a Korean-language edition. More recent foreign language editions are in Russian, Spanish and most recently- Arabic.
The editorial staff is based in New York. Twenty-two bureaus are located in other large US cities and worldwide. Editors are well-educated journalists who come to the magazine from other prestigious serious magazines. Many are graduates from Ivy League schools and are authors, professors and industry leaders. Approximately 60 talented and experienced correspondents report news events, business, the arts, entertainment, science & technology and society happenings.
Award-winning critics review art, books, photography and entertainment. Many well-respected commentators such as Anna Quindlen, and George Will write columns. One of my favorite columnist is Jane Bryant Quinn who has been writing financial advice columns for Newsweek for 25 years. She has received numerous awards for her business journalism and was named one of America’s 25 Most Influential Women by World Almanac. A few years ago I attended a lecture by her and she autographed a complementary copy of her book. I’ve been a fan ever since.
The writers are smart and know their stuff. They are all seasoned journalists who formerly were freelance writers or staff writers on other popular or prestigious publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire and Discover magazine. Many have earned awards for their journalism. Some are part of investigative teams. Many have authored books.
The writing style is fresh and contemporary. It is less conservative and more hip than typical traditional business, finance or newsmagazines. Article titles are often snappy and catchy.
Ads, Photography
Approximately 60% of the magazine is text; the remainder is art/photography. The powerful photography is often compelling, makes the magazine easier to read, understand and absorb plus adds interest to the topics. Ads comprise approximately 34% of content. They are mainly for computer products, credit cards, health products, travel and insurance companies. The Marketplace is a one-page listing of smaller ads. Sometimes there is an additional Special Advertising Section.
Website, Publisher, Subscriptions
The Website is packed with up to the minute news updates and local headlines. Read current stories from the print magazine, Web exclusive stories and top stories in the International editions unavailable on US newsstands. View photo galleries, search the Archives (must be a paid subscriber) and shop The Marketplace. Listen to complete radio programs from Newsweek Radio. Read transcripts from Live Talks between Newsweek writers and special guests on important breaking news or other issues regarding health and politics. Interact with columnists. A new section, Tip Sheet answers readers questions about personal technology, investing, medicine or travel. The photography is terrific - some pan, others focus in on subjects; all are compelling. The easy to navigate site supplements and expands magazine material and is well integrated with it.
Newsweek Inc publishes the magazine weekly except for two issues combined into one at the end of the year. Cover price of Newsweek is $106.65 per year or $3.95 per newsstand copy. A regular subscription price is $41.08 a year. Postcards inside issues offer discounted subscriptions for one year, $21.33 – a saving of $85.32, or 79 cents per issue. Subscribe for two years and each issue will cost you 69 cents. Newsweek also publishes Teen Newsweek for students in grades 6-9 and includes a 4-page teacher guide. Articles are geared to both boys and girls ages 11-15. The magazine has a readership of 660,000 and is in 6,000 schools across the nation. It is required reading and part of the weekly curriculum through the school year.
My Final Comments
I like this magazine because it publishes so frequently. The news is not stale as that found in monthly publications. Many times stories are still unfolding as Newsweek reports them and still the information is reliable even when misinformation abounds. To get even more current information, I like to visit the excellent Newsweek Website. When the bold new designs for the rebuilding of Ground Zero by seven architectural firms were unveiled last week at the World Financial Center, I went to the Newsweek Website and sure enough I was able to view each of them in color. Not only did the Website have beautiful photographs, it also had exciting, larger panning views and descriptions. I had fun voting for my favorite design. I am particularly interested in the designs because I personally know one of the architects and I lost a cousin in the disaster. In contrast, my local Gannett newspaper never published photos of the designs. Newsweek Website also ran a very interesting story about how politicians, not architects, would really decide the final design. The “…’study project’ was a dog-and-pony show and not, as many New Yorkers were led to believe, an actual design competition. None of the nine plans presented Wednesday will be accepted whole. There will be no ‘winner.’” Interesting!
Magazine stories often have a unique perspective on topics. Recently Newsweek magazine carried a story about the WTC. It wasn’t about heroism or terrorism; it was about Larry Silverman, owner of the 99-year lease. Another unusual perspective is in a recent April Special Report issue, War in the Middle East. The deeply moving cover story is about a young female victim and her young female suicide bomber who killed both of them. The story examines how the teens lived and died. The cover has a powerful, poignant split image of the two. The story is from two points of view and readers hear from both families. Although the tone of the story is touching and compassionate, it must have been difficult for the victim’s family to see and read. I found both the cover and inside story very disturbing.
I enjoy reading the many interesting features and the well-respected, knowledgeable critics. Editorials are well written and accurate - sometimes irreverent. Although articles are more detailed than those often found in newspapers, some are too short, missing relevant crucial information, leaving me with unanswered questions. I do feel, however, that the magazine has been watered down with all the entertainment, lifestyles and fast food articles that are overtaking the business and global news areas. More pop culture articles appear here than in US News & World Reports.
Although the magazine has become more entertaining than informative, I still enjoy reading issues - I just don’t want to pay for them. A big complaint I have about this weekly magazine is that issues are too slim as are Time and US News & World Reports. There can’t be much in-depth coverage when the magazine is so thin each week – issues are usually 64 pages – occasionally 80 pages. I resist the idea of paying $3.95 for only about 50 pages of news each week, after subtracting the 22 or so ad pages. If you subtract another 10 pages that are mainly full page or half page photographs with little text, you are down to 40 pages devoted mainly to journalism. This is not to say that the photography or art isn’t terrific. A picture is worth 1000 words as the saying goes and this is true in Newsweek.
Newsweek, in my opinion is one of the best weekly newsmagazines published today. It holds more National Magazine Awards given by the American Society of Magazine Editors than any other weekly newsmagazine. It received the 2002 National Magazine Award for General Excellence for its coverage on terrorism and 9/11. I prefer it to the left leaning Time and the more conservative and traditionally oriented US News and World Reports. Newsweek takes a more balanced middle-of-the road approach to news coverage. It is a great magazine for our fast changing world. Get the stories behind the newspaper headline by reading Newsweek.
53 issues - This weekly news magazine reports on each week's developments on the national and global news front through news, commentary and analysis....More at SpeedyMags.com
53 issues - Newsweek Magazine reports on each week's developments on the national and global news front through news, commentary and analysis.More at Subscription Addiction
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.