In a moment worthy of 'Dewey Beats Truman,' Sunday's Parade Magazine went out in newspapers all across the country with a blaring cover headline: "'I Am What The Terrorists Most Fear': Is Benazir Bhutto America's best hope against al-Qaeda?" Uhm...we sure hope not!
The article inside begins with an interior sub-headline that reads, "As Benazir Bhutto seeks a return to power, Tuesday's election in Pakistan could profoundly affect the fight against terrorism," and quotes supporters of Bhutto who chant, "Long live Benazir!" What it does not contain is any acknowledgment, anywhere, that Bhutto died ten days ago.
In a demonstration of why print media is dying a slow gurgling death, Parade's website does manage to acknowledge the fact that Bhutto was assassinated with the following statement, which only adds more confusion:
The assassination of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto on Dec. 27 occurred after PARADE's Jan. 6 issue went to press.Bhutto's murder adds more danger and confusion to the already chaotic situation in this region. Pakistan is vital to U.S. security interests and the global fight against terrorism. In late November, PARADE sent Contributing Editor and best-selling author Gail Sheehy to Pakistan to interview former Prime Minister Bhutto as she campaigned through the country. Bhutto told Sheehy that she had long been a target of terrorists as well as the Musharraf government. She knew she could be murdered at any time.
PARADE's Jan. 6 interview with Bhutto is one of the last interviews of her complex life.
After her assassination, PARADE immediately posted the entire interview online, and Sheehy appeared on network and cable TV news shows to discuss her face-to-face conversations with Bhutto.
So, Sheehy went to Pakistan back in November, the website was opportunistically updated on the day of her death, but nobody thought that the print article ought to be pulled in light of its inaccuracy? That makes about as much sense as referring to the article as a "Jan. 6 interview" in the correction.
Fittingly, one of the other heavily promoted online stories is titled, "Why Do We Forget Things?" Tune in next week, when Parade offers their expert analysis on whether John Edwards can prevail in the Iowa Caucus!