It must be a banner day, because I never thought I would live to see something that Bill O'Reilly and I might agree on. But he and I do agree on this: Jon Meacham's leadership has not made Newsweek better and, in significant ways, has made a "once fine magazine" worse. From Newsweek, I want news of the week. I turn elsewhere for commentary, and it may be that he and his colleagues have gotten too comfortable with their role as pundits and resident remarkers on PBS and televised talk shows. The shift to more ponderings from Meacham and staff has tipped the balance away from what I want covered in my newsmagazine.
What galls me most? Mr. Meacham's presumption that my niece made a mistake during her recent magazine fund-raiser for the high school band that he has sought to correct by providing me with a religious weekly instead of Newsweek. Mr. Meacham, if I'd wanted to read about all things Christian, I would have subscribed to Christianity Today. I don't understand why I even KNOW the faith of my newsweekly's editor, but I do not share his interest in anything remotely resembling "matters" of faith.
The good news for me? Bill O'Reilly and I might find Meacham a poor editorial leader, but O'Reilly will hate my reasons for it.









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