
BY Jana Winter
The popular celebrity gossip magazine Us Weekly has jumped into the political ring, feet first, with a scathing article about Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
On its most recent cover, due out on newsstands Friday, the magazine shows a picture of Palin with the headline, “Babies, Lies & Scandal” — a marked contrast from its gushing review of Barack and Michelle Obama that ran two months ago.
Critics say this cover, which was released a day ahead of Palin’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, is a sucker punch aimed at the GOP ticket, and is a blatant attempt to influence the votes of the magazine’s 12 million mostly female readers.
Us Weekly publisher Jann Wenner is an outspoken supporter of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
“When you look at this Palin cover and contrast it with the super-friendly story on Obama, it’s hard not to see that they’re clearly biased,” said Jane Hall, associate professor at the American University School of Communication. “It’s not fair and it’s also offensive. I think that they are going to be offensive to many people regardless of whether you’re for Sarah Palin or not.”
Us Weekly’s June 19 cover featured a photo of the Obamas with the headline, “Michelle Obama: Why Barack Loves Her.” In smaller print: “She shops at Target, Loved Sex and the City, and never misses the girls’ recitals. The untold romance between the down-to-earth mom and the man who calls her ‘my rock.’”
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Labels: Moonbattery, MSM