I used to subscribe to TIME, but I canceled my subscription in favor of The Economist (TE) because (in no particular order):

a) The advertisements are sparser in TE; they are also more clumped together in the back. TIME seemed to be more advertisement than article, sometimes. (I admit that Newsweek does not seem as bad as TIME, but not by that much. TE beats both of them handily.)

b) The writers at TE actually have sense of humor, but it can be a little annoying at times depending on the writer. They are not exactly partisan, but while they try to maintain objectivity they'll often put some sly remarks on the side that suggest otherwise.

c) TE is much more comprehensive and international than TIME, Newsweek, etc. Though TE's focus is primarily on USA and Britain, TE has entire sections devoted to international events. About the only time you will see TIME comment on anything international not directly involving the USA is if a war breaks out or something. Not so with TE.

Here is a list of the major sections of TE:

Opinion (usually political)
World
Business
Finance and Business
Science and Technology
People (usually political)
Books and Arts
Markets and Data
Diversions

d) TE doesn't waste as much time on pop culture, which appeals to me and perhaps some other people as well. To make up for this, they publish whimsical articles (e.g, which is the best sport of all) every issue. The writers also have a sense of humor. (see above) They also devote space to book reviews, science, etc. (I especially like the science and technology section.)

e) They use English, albeit with British spelling. Meaning, sometimes they will have huge (15+ page) articles on hot topics, but they go out of their way to make them understandable to any college-educated reader.

For instance, they had a big issue on genetics/genetic engineering/etc. where they went to great lengths in describing how DNA works, how cloning works, etc.

Also, they had a "new economy" issue where they actually explained economic terms, etc. While I didn't need them since I'm an economics major in college, I have no doubt that non-economists found their patient explanations helpful. The Economist is not just for economists!


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Additional info:
You can subscribe to either the website version only (www.economist.com) or to the print version. If you get the print version you get free web service as part of the package. (If anyone wants to know: I have a print subscription, and therefore get both services.) By the way, you can sign up for free weekly business and/or politics updates at the site, too. They try to summarize things for you week-by-week in two separate mailing lists.

COSTS FOR U.S.A. customers: US$59.00 for website-only subscription, US$125.00 for print subscription. Costs for other countries are comparable and you can find out what they are at www.economist.com


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The worst part about TE is how I wonder if they have anything good to say at all sometimes. Think of a good friend who knows too much for his own good, equip him with the occasional snide remarks and mildly arrogant mannerisms, and you have some idea of how TE reads. But if you can stand this, TE is the best weekly out there. Five stars!

Recommended: Yes