So Sarah Palin doesn’t read newspapers… Who does?
Yes, in a recent interview with Katie Couric, Governor Palin was unable to name one newspaper or magazine that she reads.
Some take that to mean that she doesn’t read newspapers. Somehow that it is a bad thing. In reality, that just makes Palin in touch with the average American — who also doesn’t read newspapers.
I have news for people — a LOT of people don’t read dead tree publications anymore. Of course, in Couric’s antiquated 1950s world, people can only get news from paper with ink on it and, of course, from the talking pictures (she needs to interview McCain, now that I think about).
I challenge you to name one cool kid who reads a newspaper. Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.
And while I’m at it, who watches network news anymore? Not the cool kids. Even the losers don’t bother watching Couric, either.
If Couric was hip and with it (and if she thought anyone actually watched her show) she would have asked Palin which Web sites and blogs she frequents. If Couric was really cool, she would have asked Palin to name the five biggest tags in her tag cloud of life.
My guess is that “snowmobiling” and “moose hunting” would be pretty high. So would “punching Charlie Gibson in the face.” Extemporaneous speaking and Jeopardy would probably be some of the smaller tags.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 am
The problem is she said she reads lot of newspapers and magazines, but she couldn’t even name a single one even after being asked twice.
You’d think she could at least say she always reads the Weekly Standard and thinks William Crystal is brilliant.
At least Bush was honest and said he just glanced at headlines and got his news from briefings by Condi.
http://www.slate.com/id/2089915/
Palin did the same thing when asked about Supreme Court decisions. She couldn’t answer the question and then when pressed just repeated her general answer.
The New York Times did ask McCain back in July which websites he looks at
http://valleywag.com/5049350/john-mccain-actually-does-read-blogs-sorta
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:40 am
Honestly, I think you’re way off base here. The issue is not the format in which you get your news. If you read The New York Times online, you’re still reading New York Times and not the Washington Post. She honestly should have been able to mention a couple of news BRANDS.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:54 am
Also, while it’s true that most people don’t thoroughly read a printed version of the paper, when asked, more than half of Americans still name a newspaper that they check several times a week either in print or online. So the question “What papers do you read” could have honestly been answered with “I read the New York Times online” or something similar. The fact that she couldn’t even do that is a bit troublesome.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:59 am
Funny. But I think most reasonable people who read, say, the New York Times online would say they read a newspaper — even if they only read it online. I’m pretty sure that if Palin came out tomorrow and said she didn’t answer the question because she only reads news online and Couric didn’t ask about Web sites, most people would consider that a pretty silly excuse.
Of course, it’s also true that millions of Americans still read print newspapers. More than 95 million of them do, in fact. Every day.
What’s more, those old fogey print newspapers provide about 90 percent of the revenue behind all newspaper reporting. And, by and large, newspaper reporting is the basis for the vast majority of all other forms of news and commentary, from broadcast news to the Huffington Post to Twitter. Even the news the cool kids are reading originates, by and large, in newspapers.
In other words, most people “read newspapers.” Even if they never once get ink on their fingers.
But, still — funny.
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:15 am
Right on. I skim my local newspaper maybe once or twice a week, but I am very informed about current events. True, I do scan the local paper’s website daily, but as noted above, I get the vast majority of my information from cable news (FNC, MSNBC, C-SPAN, etc) and websites.
And BTW - I think Steve (first comment) meant William KRISTOL, the pundit…not William (Billy) Crystal, the actor/comedian. Right?
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
Actually, there’s a high correlation between people who follow the news (remember, she says she followed ALL media, lots of ‘um) and people who vote.
And if you look purely at print, then even higher correlation with age, voting and reading print newspapers.
So, if you conclude that Palin’s non-specific answer means she doesn’t read a newspaper, online or print, nor any other media, than she’s more like non-voters than voters.
Wonder when she first voted in an election?
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 am
The first comment is right on: The issue with this wasn’t that Palin doesn’t read newspapers; it’s that she said in the first sentence of her answer to the question and then reiterated throughout her answer, that she reads “most” and “all” newspapers and magazines, yet refuses to name any titles even when repeatedly asked to be specific. I have the feeling that if she was asked about blogs and Web sites, she would’ve given a similar answer. To turn this into a new media vs. old media issue is missing the point and comes off as grasping at straws to try to mold it into more fodder for that fight. There are other things that can make much better evidence for why one medium is hip and another isn’t.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
Maybe we’re all missing the reality here. Maybe Palin is such a voracious reader that it would be mere folly for her to name what she reads.
I mean would you honestly go to Comic-Con and ask people who their favorite super heroes are?
Or, say, what if your name was Michael Bolton and someone asked you what your favorite Michael Bolton songs were. Wouldn’t the only logical answer be, “I guess I just kind of like them all?”
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Maybe I’m off here, but I thought this post was intended to be tongue-in-cheek. He states that Palin doesn’t read newspapers and asks “Who does?” to address the fact that readership is declining. He then takes it over the top (and my opinion into the realm of satire/sarcasm) when he suggests she could read them online. It seems he is poking fun at people who think newspapers only exist in paper form.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
If I were asked that question, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that I read the NY Times and Wall Street Journal online. And I don’t work in an important public position like governor of the United States.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I mean governor of a state, but what’s scary is that she might be leader of all the states.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Bored_at_work seems to be the only one to get that this post is not meant to be taken seriously. It is self parody. But here is a serious reply to your serious comments:
The question is about what newspapers and magazine did she read to form her WORLD view. If Palin said she read American publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post without naming some serious non-American publications, it would be a very poor answer.
All three of those publications are sub par when it comes to foreign affairs and concentrate mostly on U.S. affairs. And if you base your world view off of only American publications, your world view can’t be much more enlightened than Palin has seemed so far. How hopelessly American-centric.
Try at least reading some U.K. publications (The Economist FTW!). You might even want to consider Foreign Affairs (a journal, but it’s still in print. Yay!). I would also strongly encourage all of you to read Al Jazeera’s English-language Web site. Before all of you go casting stones about Palin, maybe you should bring up some publications that actually spend a lot of resources on covering the world outside the U.S.
Reading The New York Times alone does not give one an informed world view. It might certainly, however, contribute to ones hubris.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
“MOST AMERICANS DONT READ NEWSPAPERS”…LAST TIME I CHECKED THIS CHICK IS RUNNING FOR THE SECOND HIGHEST OFFICE IN OUR NATION…SHE NEEDS TO READ BRAINIAC…COME ON NOW…YOU KNOW THIS IS PLAIN UNACCEPTABLE…
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
You have a real gift for telling the truth in ways that are guaranteed to piss people off. I love it.
I couldn’t really name specific papers either, everything comes in through RSS or Twitter, but I could at least make up a good answer on the spot. What scares me is that she can’t even lie well.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
[...] So Sarah Palin doesn’t read newspapers… Who does? Some take that to mean that she doesn’t read newspapers. Somehow that it is a bad thing. In reality, that just makes Palin in touch with the average American — who also doesn’t read newspapers. (tags: newspapers journalism politics america) [...]
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:26 am
As a Scotsman working in Sheffield, England, and a journalist now working in regeneration for neighbouring Rotherham, South Yorkshire, I don’t like to intrude on the USA’s debate about Mrs Palin (has anyone checked if she’s related tro Sheffield-born Monty Python, Michael Palin?)
UK newspapers are hit by the internet’s delivery of news and 24-hour rolling news in our broadcast media. But they’re still taken seriously here and regarded as important.
Oh, and a cool kid who still reads newspapers? My son, Christian Herron - not only creates electro-music as Delay Tactics, and puts some fantastic, if sometimes wierd, pix on flickr.com (delay_tactics), but reads the independent, a pretty serious UK paper.
Best regards, America.
Clark Herron
October 6th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Perhaps she is shying away from plugging any one newspaper - or giving anyone anything too specific with which to crucify her later on.
Let’s face it, as far as most of the media is concerned, she’s damned if she does, and damned if she don’t.
October 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
She doesn’t read much at all I am sure - probably she watches Fox or CNN.
I bet she cannot name the prime minister of Canada, or name the capital city of British Columbia, or the population of neighboring Yukon territory.
I bet she would take more than 2 minutes to find Syria or New Zealand on a globe.
Her major was Journalism, and she can’t name anything she reads?
I betcha it’s “people magazine” that she reads.