  |
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Posted by Kate Butler Jan 15, 2007 |
While flipping through the most recent issue of Mcleans, I was shocked to realize how much this supposedly serious news magazine resembled the latest issue of US weekly or In Touch. Mcleans has become increasingly fond of bold headlines, colourful photos, and ‘fluff’ news stories; in short, it is beginning to look like a run-of-the-mill tabloid. While there is nothing inherently wrong in celebrating the lighter side of Canadian politics and news, it seems problematic that Mcleans continues to portray itself as the Canadian equivalent of Time or Newsweek.
I like the personal stories about our MPs, sports stars, and business leaders as much as anybody, but it seems as though Mcleans should be the place where we turn to for more in-depth reporting on issues that affect Canadians. There are numerous news outlets that focus on the celebrity aspect of Canadian newsmakers (Entertainment Tonight Canada, The Hour, various internet blogs), but fewer and fewer that devote serious coverage to important topics of the day.
In particular, one of the most troubling aspects of the change in Mcleans editorial direction, and consequent lay-out choices, is that Mcleans has a long history of being relatively successful at presenting the news in a non-biased way. Of course, this statement could be disputed by opponents of Mcleans supposed political preference, but for the most part, Mcleans used to be quite centrist and fair in its views. Unlike some of the blatantly partisan news magazines that are popping up, especially in Alberta, Mcleans used to be able to claim to have supporters on all sides of the political spectrum.
While the new-look Mcleans is not necessarily going in one political direction or the other, the fact that it is moving away from news reporting means that it is in danger of becoming irrelevant for many readers. By covering the lighter side of politics and the news, the supposed non-bias in news coverage will become less important because people will look at Mcleans as merely a tabloid. Serious news coverage, if it still appears in any form in the new version of this magazine, will be increasingly marginalized.