| | Time, please
Time magazine, February 28 – 5 March, 2007
Can Shinzo Abe find his way? by Bryan Walsh
My view of Time magazine has always been coloured by presumption; hence, I had never picked it up. This all-American icon, I supposed, had as much in common with real journalism as, say, the infamous Fox News. I had imagined Time to be packed with melodramatic human interest pieces about widows or orphan refugees.
I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised when I actually read it.
In this feature, Bryan Walsh assembles an insightful and comprehensive expose of the current state of Japan and its new prime minister, Shinzo Abe. The feature starts by illustrating Japan’s new found corporate strength, which has come as a breath of fresh air to corporate Tokyo since the recession of the 1990s.
Walsh then compares this new wealth with the fears of ordinary Japanese people, who, according to polls, are more anxious about the future than ever before. Anxious with good reason, says Walsh, as China grows in leaps and bounds, and Japan’s population ages. The writer also supplements his feature with a slew of useful charts indicating key economic and social measures.
So how does this feature differ from, say, an Economist piece? The key lies in the use of direct quotations. Time magazine’s style incorporates a human element by using concise quotes from public and private figures, rather than holding human interactions at arm’s length. The overall effect is quite the opposite of melodrama: the feature takes on a life and style that is conspicuously lacking in much of the analytical press. Most astonishingly of all, in future I may find myself picking up this American magazine by choice.
[270 words]
|
| | Posted 3/12/2007 6:10 AM - 2 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
- recommend
  - recs0
- share
- email
 - sent0
|
