People Magazine: Palin Books Lie, But There's 'Fuel for Both Sides'?

September 28th, 2011 8:14 AM

People magazine gave prominent play on the front of its Books section in the latest edition (dated October 3) to two Palin-trashing books, by Joe McGinniss and Levi Johnston. They weren't officially reviewed, since there was no rating of how many stars they had earned. The headline was "Seeking the Real Sarah? Two dirt-dishing bios of Sarah Palin play fast and loose with the facts but transport readers deep into the Wasilla, Alaska ethos that shaped her."

Why would People try to be even-handed here? The books aren't factually dependable, but they reflect Palin's local "ethos"? Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, a People reporter and former White House reporter for the Associated Press, dances this soft-shoe throughout the short piece, next to large photos of the book covers:

Both writers have colorful bruises to show for their proximity to the political phenom who spurned them, and their tales -- which often rely on embittered or anonymous sources -- are just as colorful: Sarah is a neglectful mom and cold, cheating wife; she and husband Todd have used cocaine; Bristol had had liposuction and a breast reduction (says Johnston). Todd denounced McGinniss's book as "full of disgusting lies." (The Palins haven't bothered to address Johnston's.)

Notice how People just dishes corrosive allegations of drug use and adultery and doesn't really suggest they're unsubstantiated? They're certainly not unverified enough to avoid spreading. Can anyone imagine People doing this with an anti-Obama book of the same unverified nature? Westfall does refute one claim as utterly un-factual, and then, maddeningly, concludes on an even-handed note:

The lack of documentation undercuts both [books], as does the seemingly spotty fact-checking -- evident in Johnson's time line from the 2008 GOP convention and in McGinniss's statement that a "longtime friend" says there are no crosses or religious plaques in the Palin home. (I've been there; they're everywhere.) Love her or hate her, there's fuel here for both sides of the Sarah divide.

People magazine would not publish "The author says Obama's a coke-snorting communist Muslim. Not true, but there's fuel here for both sides of the Obama divide." Such a book would never be acknowledged by People. The attention they gave to these two books just shows they want you to know which politician reeks of phoniness. Even if it makes the conservative reader think People reeks of phoniness.