Time Magazine - covers for International and US editions - February 20, 2012 | Vol. 179 No. 7

Dismissing Paolo Pellegrin’s portrait of Mario Monti as a stock photo for a heart disease ad, Jon Stewart takes Time magazine to task for the lightweight cover stories on its American editions. The current issue, shown above, the American edition of the magazine has a cover about animal friendships, while the worldwide editions have a cover featuring Italian prime minister Mario Monti. This isn’t the first time there’s been such a disparity between the various editions, though it’s not always the Americans who get the lightweight cover.

This is pretty easy criticism that shows up every time this happens with Time, and it isn’t entirely fair. The different covers make Time look bad, but if anything, a closer look shows that the difference between the editions reflects more poorly on the American news consumer than on Time magazine. The contents of the US and various international editions is basically the same; both cover stories are in all editions. The covers are used primarily to attract readers at the newsstand, and this has got to be the reason behind different covers for different markets. In the US, the magazine is on stands in grocery stores and airports alongside fluffier magazines. Time needs to compete with the likes of O, People, and Cat Fancy. Outside of the US (in my experience, anyway) the magazine is most often sold in locations frequented by business and government travelers next to copies of the International Herald Tribune and the Economist. I don’t have Time’s per-issue circulation figures at hand, but I’d bet the lighter covers sell much better in the US than covers relating to hard news and international affairs. So, while I’m usually on board with Jon Stewart’s comedy, I think the Daily Show’s reading of Time magazine’s covers misses the mark with a simple reading of the magazine and its marketing.

Be sure to check out this short video of Pellegrin’s less-than-15 minute portrait shoot with Monti.

And also on the subject of newsweekly covers, here’s a look at all the cover options Newsweek tried for its recent sex issue.

Modified screenshot - POYi Chatroom Heroes

Taking a page from the Overheard in… series of blogs (New York, the Beach, the Newsroom), POYi Chatroom Heroes has been chronicling conversation in the chat window of the online streaming of 2012 Pictures of the Year International judging process. There’s snark, armchair judging, admiration, and anything else you’d expect to hear among the audience. Worth a laugh.

While you’re at it, make sure to look at the winners as they are announced, and sit in to watch the judging as it happens. Judging continues through Feb. 24.

(via Matt Mills McKnight on Tumblr)

Another video in the vein of Shit ___ Say…, Shtuff People Say to Photographers is the natural companion to Shit Photographers Say. This video was produced by the Outward Bound Collective. It’s geared a bit more toward wedding and portrait photographers, but if you’ve ever taken pictures in a public place, I’m sure you’ve heard half of these.

I’m surprised it took so long for this meme to get to photographers, but here it is, by Paris Visone, Tim Kennedy, Chris Sanchez, and Dan Aguirre. It’s in the vein of the original of these sorts of videos, Shit Girls Say, and the many, many derivatives. Don’t forget Shit Liz Lemon Says.

(via Photographs On the Brain)

UPDATE: Looks like there is an earlier (less funny) Shit Photographers Say video here.

Tyler Card and Adam Barr - fully-functioning camera Halloween costume

Need a last-minute Halloween costume idea? You probably don’t have time to do it now, but Tyler Card and Adam Barr built a fully-functioning digital camera Halloween costume. There’s a behind-the-scenes video (warning, annoying and loud music…) that documents the process of making the whole thing. The guts of it all are a torn-apart laptop and an actual digital camera that outputs directly to the computer’s LCD. One click of the giant shutter, and there’s a picture visible on the back of the costume. Pretty great!

(via PetaPixel)

And since I think that’s Tyler in the costume, that also makes him…wait for it…a camera card. Zing!

Shutterbugs - a web sitcom about photographers

“Shutterbugs is a comedy web series about a group of obsessive photographers. It centres on analogue photographer Chloe and her socialite best friend Samantha. Together they get into trouble as they trespass, steal and bend the truth during their various photography exploits.” -from Shutterbugs’ about page

I’m not quite sure what to make of this–with some exceptions British TV comedy is usually too silly for my liking. But Shutterbugs could have some potential. There’s rich material in the lives of aspiring photographers of all stripes from the college photojournalist to the young wedding photographer to the trying-to-be-hip party photographer to the studio intern and so on, and hopefully this show will mine those depths. And there’s a dig at Cobrasnake (or Cobrasnake-alikes) in the promo.

You can view a teaser of the first season on the show’s website.

(via someone on Facebook, I think)

“We at AFAJP are asking how much longer the Pulitzer Board can turn a blind eye to what is, year in and year out, the most in-depth, comprehensive, elegant, and masterful reporting in the United States of America. How much longer must The Onion endure this grave injustice?” -Americans for Fairness in Awarding Journalism Prizes

Tom Hanks has joined the chorus of supporters advocating for a Pulitzer Prize for The Onion satirical newspaper. Alongside the likes of a foul-mouthed Ira Glass, Ariana Huffington, pulitzer-prize winner Dave Barry, and Mario Batali, concerned citizens are uniting to get the Pulitzer committee to take notice of The Onion on the occasion of the newspaper’s 1000th issue. The movement is organized by Americans for Fairness in Awarding Journalism Prizes, which argues: “There have been more than 8,000 Pulitzer Prizes awarded since 1917. Isn’t it about time The Onion received one?” You can record your own video testimonial or sign an online petition in support of a Pulitzer for the Onion.

Related reading: Literally Unbelievable, a collection of people on Facebook who believe Onion articles are real.
And are a few links to coverage of Onion articles that have come true. And the lede on this story is just perfect.

From Regret The Error - MSNBC correspondent Norah O'Donnel's mistaken tweet mixing up the names Obama and Osama

Regret the Error has coverage of many high-profile spelling errors made while reporting news of Osama bin Laden’s death. CNN, FoxNews, NPR, and many others have made the mistake. One Fox affiliate that made the error has written about other publications and stations making similar mistakes and considers how such mistakes might make it to air at news stations.

Time traveler talking on a cell phone? - footage from crowds outside Charlie Chaplin movie premiere

We’ve seen suspected time travelers in historic photos before. Another purported time traveler was spotted in historical footage, this time an older woman appears to be using a cell phone outside the 1928 premiere of Charlie Chaplin’s “The Circus.” Nevermind that all the supporting mobile technology wouldn’t have been in place to make mobile phone usage possible, the filmmaker who spotted this believes there is no other explanation for why the woman’s hand would be in this position while walking and talking–portable radios hadn’t been invented yet and an ear trumpet would be too big. Others have suggested the woman is adjusting her hair or hat or scratching her temple.

(via MeFi)