Mark Whitaker set the pace for Meacham. Newsweek is just not the type of place most hard nosed journalists would want to hang their hats. It caters to the advertisers and fluff reporting which often times leads to a blurring of lines. I agree with the above poster. Newsweek and Time are now in a league with Readers Digest. They cater to lightweight readers i.e. the type Jeff Goldblum references as "People" magazine readers in "The Big Chill." You've got to be able to read the entire article in under the time it takes you to go to the bathroom. End of story. Meacham is joking if he thinks Newsweek and/or Time rival the likes of "The Economist." But then, he gets paid to try and keep the public believing they are serving up tough news reporting. Hardly. Barely. I couldn't stomach Newsweek under Whitaker's editorial leadership and it is in no way better now.