These distinct personalities are particularly evident in the 2003 covers. The situation in Iraq was the most common cover story of the year at all three magazines. Time put the war on the cover 15 times (out of 48 issues studied), Newsweek 14 times, and U.S. News 12.
But after that, differences emerge. Aside from Iraq, for instance, Time and Newsweek were most likely to go with a lifestyle cover, such as health, dieting, or the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Newsweek had 11 such covers, Time 10. U.S. News, by contrast, had half as many, 5.
The lifestyle topics in Time and Newsweek, moreover, often were about how Americans behave: "She works, he doesn't" (Newsweek) or "The Secrets of Eating Smarter." When U.S. News did a lifestyle cover, it often tended toward a reference issue one might keep, such as an annual career guide or a consumer survival guide.
At U.S. News, rather than lifestyle, the second most common cover topic was a domestic social issue or historical matter, such as a cover package of stories about anti-Semitism in America, oceanic pollution, architecture or the history of flight. It had 10 such covers. Time had just one domestic issue cover (about health care). Newsweek had five.
Add in the economy, and the differences between the three are more pronounced. U.S. News did two covers on the economy. Neither Time nor Newsweek did any during the 48 weeks.
U.S. News also stands out in its treatment of popular culture and celebrity. Time and Newsweek each had four entertainment covers. U.S. News had none.
The covers, too, show a marked shift over time. In an earlier study, PEJ compared the cover stories of Time and Newsweek in 1977 and 1997. Over those twenty years, there was a clear decline in government and domestic affairs covers as well as foreign affairs. Softer news areas like entertainment, personal health and science received more cover play.8 [1] In 2003, the war in Iraq dominated magazine covers throughout the year. Foreign and military coverage together represented 31% of cover stories in 2003 (compared to less than 10% of stories in 1997). Otherwise, trends toward softer news continued as the percent of covers about health rose to 18% at both Time and Newsweek (from 6% and 2% in 1997) and covers devoted to domestic issues like affirmative action and gay marriage fell slightly (from 10% to 8% of cover stories at Newsweek, and from 8% to 4% at Newsweek).
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Time and Newsweek 1977 & 1997
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Project for Excellence in Journalism, ’’Changing Definitions of News,’’ March 6, 1998
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