I'm reacting to a headline on Drudge that suggests Magazines and newspapers are experiencing a boost in sales from the Obama win. Now, forget about Obama for a minute, the die is cast, and I'm sure he'll be a fine President. What concerns me is now the press has proof that their financial fortunes can be changed by making the right decisions about which candidate to put on the cover and which to ignore.
Now in a sense this is not news, but one wonders if, going forward, newspapers and magazines will seek out profit by making decisions to back this or that candidate based on whether or not their appearance on the Magazine will drive up sales... and not on whether or not a candidate is newsworthy, or even a good choice for the office they seek.
Maybe that's not such a big deal in theory... but what happens when a truly dynamic and appealing candidate comes along who is either idealogically bankrupt or morally questionable. Are the mags and papers going to cover up those failings in hopes of hitting those circulation jackpots?
Something to think about as we go deeper into the era of the celebrity politician. The Nixon/Kennedy debates sure seem like a long time ago don't they?
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