The headline on the Oct. 11 Media Research Center post by Scott Whitlock declares, “Liberal Dying Husk Time Magazine to Slash Circulation.” Whitlock then goes on to called Time a “liberal dinosaur,” touting how the magazine is cutting circulation by one-third. But he then goes on to contradict himself, conceding that perhaps the publication and its parent not, in fact, dying:
Writer Kevin McCoy [of USA Today] explained of Time inc (which also includes other publications), “Revenue for the quarter that ended June 30 fell $75 million, or 10%, to $694 million compared with the same period last year, the company reported. The drop reflected declines in advertising and circulation revenues.”
So, no, not quite a dying husk. Also, Time’s purported “liberal” leanings have nothing to do with its circulation decline — like many other print outlets, the Internet is taking its toll on Time. Further, digital subscriptions are helping to fill some of the slack.
Whitlock’s evidence of Time being “liberal” is rather meager; it noted the economic upheaval as post-Soviet Russia moved from communism to something kinda representing capitalism, and calling Barack Obama as “Obi-Wan Kenobi” but Donald Trump a “demogogue” upon their respective “person of the year” designations.
Besides, if being “liberal” is really what’s killing Time, why was the first major newsmagazine to permanently suspend its print edition the right-leaning U.S. News & World Report?