Salon looks at "Journalism in a time of crisis."

by Ken Sanes
September 19, 2001

It is inevitable that people are going to profit from the current crisis, and just as inevitable that news organizations are going to try to use it in their marketing efforts. But one would hope they would not be blatant about it, in deference to past and very possibly future victims. 

Salon magazine didn't exactly pass that test with its appeal to readers to buy a subscription so they can keep up with the latest news. The appeal begins with a link and a tease on Salon's home page that says: "A letter from the editor: Journalism in a time of crisis". That can easily be misread by readers as meaning that, if they click on the link, they will go to a column about the role of journalism in the current circumstances.

Instead, they go to a marketing effort that begins as if it is a report on what Salon is doing to cover the crisis. Then it gets down to business: "Americans need to get as broad a range of information and analysis as possible as our government and military confront the sobering challenges ahead. We need to hear from more than just the usual talking heads. We need journalism that is as challenging as the times. Please take the time today to become a Salon Premium subscriber, so we can keep devoting resources to this expanding story."

Salon's marketing appeal is also not entirely forthright with readers in its explanation for why it is dropping a column titled "Bushed!". It says: "We have decided to suspend our daily Bushed column so that we can marshal our editorial forces to cover the global terrorism story. Premium readers will find even more news and commentary about the Bush administration as it leads the country through this defining period."

The truth, of course, is that Salon dropped the column because the public mood has shifted and there isn't a taste right now for the kind of mockery and harsh adversarial approach it took in covering Bush. In fact, if Salon had continued the column, it would probably have found itself on the receiving end of criticism because most people want the nation to rally around Bush.

One need only look at some items from and about the "Bushed!" column to see how out of place it would be in the current climate. For example, a marketing appeal in Salon refers to "Bushed!" as "our opinionated daily roundup of the exploits and mishaps of President George W. Bush and his administration." Clearly mocking "mishaps" on a daily basis to undermine Bush's credibility wouldn't play well when American lives depend on his competence. And, of course, what "Bushed!" would have been covering if it continued is how Bush is dealing with the crisis and overseeing a war.

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Here is the first part of  past Bushed! columns. (You have to pay to read the rest of each column - at least as far back as I checked).