The
List Compiled by Democracy
in Action/Eric M. Appleman -- updated November 2, 2009
This survey examines how President Obama has been portrayed on American
magazine covers (national news, opinion and specialty magazines) during
the first year1 of his
administration. As the administration has grappled with the
global economic crisis, the push for health care reform, and wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, and as Obama's governing philosophy and
leadership
style have become clearer, magazine editors and art directors have
sought to convey these stories using compelling combinations of
photographs, photo illustrations or illustrations and text. We
see these images when we are riding on Metro or the bus, waiting at
the dentist office or for a hair cut or walking past a news stand, and
they influence our perceptions.
The economy was a
dominant theme of magazine covers featuring Obama during the first nine
months of his administration. The
Economist cover "To the rescue" (2/14) had an illlustration
inspired by the Emanuel Leutz painting of Washington crossing
the Delaware but picturing Obama, administration officials, and a big
bag
of money in the row boat. In a similar vein The
American
Conservative (2/9) showed him throwing money out of a
helicopter. Focusing on intervention in the auto industry, National Review (5/4) portrayed
Obama as "The Mechanic-in-Chief."
Another popular theme of Obama covers was the debate over health care
reform, which Obama vowed to accomplish in his first year in
office. Several magazines produced portrayals of Obama as a
doctor. National Review's
(7/20)
illustration
of
Obama as a proctologist prompted some discussion.
Examples
Covers Featuring Images of President Obama addressing Health Care Reform
Relatively few American magazine covers featured Obama on
the international stage. Examples included the New Republic "Who Runs U.S. foreign
policy?" (8/12) and The Nation's
"Obama's
Fateful
Choice"
[Afghanistan] (11/9). Magazines from
other countries certainly
covered his international travels, but these are beyond the scope of
this survey.
Magazine covers focused on Obama's ideology and more broadly on his
leadership style. National
Review (3/23) presented an
illustration of Obama done in the socialist realism style ("Our
Socialist Future"). The Weekly
Standard had images of Obama on the cover more than any other
magazine in the survey, a total of nine times (this includes two times
as a
detail in a larger image). On the left, The Progressive (May 2009) featured
an Obama cover to accompany the article "Howard Zinn on Changing
Obama's Mindset" while The Nation
(6/15) ran one on "Exacting Change." The theme of liberal
discontent also showed up on more neutral magazines. CQ Weekly (9/7) played off an Obama
campaign sign with "Maybe We Can: Angst on the Left" and Newsweek (11/2) ran "Yes He Can
(But He Sure Hasn't Yet): A Liberal's Survival Guide."
Other
assessments considered the approach and accomplishments of the
administration. New York
(8/10)
presented a cover
"The Selling (and Selling and Selling) of the
President." Rolling
Stone (8/20) looked at
"Obama So Far" and National Journal
(10/17) asked
"Is He Tough Enough?"
A number of magazines showed the personal side of Obama. Men's Journal (March 2009)
presented the "jock in chief" while Parade
(6/21) showed him in his role as a father with Sasha and Malia. In
Touch (4/27) showed him and Michelle on "How We Keep Our Love
Alive" and the New York Times
Magazine (11/1) took a look at "The First Marriage."
Michelle garnered more than a dozen solo covers.
The most controversial Obama cover during this period came from Washingtonian (May
2009); the magazine used a photo of the bare-chested Obama to promote
"26 Reasons to Love
Living Here."
1. An argument can be made that Obama's presidency began
on Nov. 4, 2008. See for example Jonathan Alter. "The PDQ
Presidency." Newsweek.
Nov.
2, 2009.
See also a less comprehensive list
of covers from the first year of the George W. Bush administration.
