This image provided by Newsweek shows the news
magazine's Nov. 23, 2009 cover, featuring a photo
of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The
image was taken by photographer Brian Adams,
originally for use in Runner's World magazine. (AP Photo/
Newsweek, Brian Adams/ Rapport)
"How do you solve a problem like Sarah?” reads the recent cover of Newsweek magazine. But instead of the headline, most readers’ eyes are drawn to the picture of Sarah Palin clad in a bright red shirt, and short black runner’s shorts, originally shot for Runner’s World Magazine last August. The Runner’s World photo was part of a multi-photograph slideshow that accompanied an article about Palin and her love for the sport titled, "I'm A Runner."
Even though Palin’s new book has ignited critics and supporters, the Newsweek cover brings forth new issues. Would a male politician be portrayed the same way and did Newsweek deliberately use the photo to boost their sales? According to the Washington Post third quarter’s earning report, the news magazine is losing money and its subscriber base is expected to drop to 1.5 million in January 2010 from 3.1 million earlier this year.
Palin has stated on her Facebook page that, “The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this "news" magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner's World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness - a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context."
In addition to the sexism issue, there’s also the issue of whether or not Newsweek received permission from Runner’s World to use the photo. An editor’s note at Runner’s World.com states, “Runner’s World did not provide Newsweek with the image. Instead, it was provided to Newsweek by the photographer’s agency, without Runner’s World’s knowledge or permission.”
The Palin cover isn’t the first time Newsweek has sparked controversy. The October 13, 2008, issue featured an extreme close-up of Palin that seemed to lack the usual retouching employed by today’s magazines.
Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham has stated that the photo choice was simply the "most interesting image available"
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