Comparison of Mother Jones and the Beat within Magazines - Essay Example

Comparison of Mother Jones and The Beat Within Magazines This comparison was conducted looking at the online versions ofMother Jones (September/October 2005 and back issues), a bi-monthly magazine and The Beat Within (September 7, 2005), a weekly magazine. Mother Jones focuses mainly on the wrongs done to society. The Beat Within is for and about incarcerated juveniles, calling itself "A weekly publication of writing and art from the inside". Both magazines make injustice the main issue but in very different ways. The Mother Jones covers are similar to mainstream magazines in cover content; each issue has a new drawing/photograph similar to those found on the covers of The New Yorker, Time, or Life. The covers reflect the emphasized issues, using drawings or photographs. They are fairly eye-catching, such as the May/June cover featuring Uncle Sam with is tall hat in flames and the headline, "As the World Burns," or the current issue headlined "The WMDs That Walked Away," featuring a cartoon face of a Johnny Quest-ish looking Middle Eastern man with charcoal gray skin and gold eyes. The covers of Mother Jones are dynamic and imaginative but definitely left-leaning. The online version of The Beat Within was studied. There cover of the September 7 edition is a pencil sketch of handcuffed wrists, upturned, with jail bars in the background. In the upper left-hand corner of the cover page is a logo of a person sitting in a jail cell, writing. This is a powerful symbol that dispels myths about incarcerated people; it encourages an empathetic feeling. The challenge of the online version is that one needs to read and explore the site to discover its intentions and content. Most mainstream people would likely not be bothered to delve any further than the glance at the title page and self-description. Mother Jones' table of contents offers a healthy plethora of articles with a wide range of subjects; the current issue ranges from the story of a guilt-ridden Bill Wiseman, who voted to restore Oklahoma's death penalty then became a driving force supporting lethal injections as a more humane way of delivering the death penalty) to a photo essay of the dismal state of affairs in Darfur, Sudan. The reader is offered a deeper view of known issues than the mainstream media offers, and also draws attention to stories that the mainstream media doesn't. Mother Jones offers an opportunity to look at what fell through the cracks that is worthy of attention in a way that is informative and useful. After perusing articles in Mother Jones, it is obvious that the magazine advocates awareness of what is wrong with the worldwide system, how it functions through the power of large corporations and who the victims really are, balanced with suggested actions as well as news of positive environmental changes such as expanded use of hybrid vehicles. The Beat's table of contents is structured in categories, which classify the writing subjects of the juvenile inmate writers. Sample categories are "Who I am," "Gangs," "Guns," "It Hurts" and "My Cell." In the online version of The Beat, click on several categories and you will see the same essays repeated in some of them. The themes take on a feeling of repetition, since the writings offered come from inside incarcerated juveniles and are informative inasmuch as a look inside the minds of young people that mainstream will regard as "criminal element." Ads in Mother Jones reflect the environmental and humanitarian concern of its publishers and editors; ads for organic cotton T-shirts as well as the Union Of Concerned Scientists (a bright orange ad promoting the cessation of global warming) appear, as well as politically oriented ads such as advocating clemency for unjustly imprisoned people. Mother Jones also makes it clear that donations are welcome; due to restricting advertising to the magazines own code of ethics, advertising alone does not support the magazine. There are no ads from computer corporations, airlines, car companies, beauty supplies, pharmaceutical companies cell phone companies or financial institutions such as are found in mainstream magazines. The Beat's online version carries no advertising at all. Both of these magazines appeal to specific audiences. People who read Mother Jones most likely also read Utne and other similar environmentally conscious publications. They are likely to be activist-oriented, liberal politically, of any ethnicity. Mother Jones appeals to a set of principles more than an ethnic group. It is geared toward an audience that is activist rather than armchair; the age range for Mother Jones appears to be geared toward those in the 20's - 30's age group as well as the "hippie" sect of the older generations. The Beat is geared specifically to teens of all ethnicities and is gender balanced. Its contents explore the minds of troubled teens, and whether incarcerated or not, the thoughts expressed by the writers can be empathized with by teens of all walks of life. The intense feelings and longings and outrage and reflections of the beginnings of wisdom are helpful to the writers' peers, whether incarcerated, released, at risk, or simply looking for common ground for their own feelings and viewpoints. In addition, this magazine is useful to those in the professions of criminology, psychology, rehabilitation and medicine. A look inside of a mind that has gone awry for whatever reason is enlightening and engaging. Mother Jones is a news magazine that offers blatant views without fear of losing advertising. It is unapologetic and bold in its approach, adding the substance of startling information in a penetrating way that other mainstream magazines often miss. The worldwide coverage of different stories and issues invite the reader to explore further if they choose, rather than spoon-feeding on the surface. Due to the schedules and lifestyles of mainstream magazine readers, this section of the population often doesn't have the wherewithal to delve deeper into the core of the stories presented. They often wish to simply know what's going on and have a balance of news and entertainment. Mother Jones does not offer "mind candy." It has a mission and a purpose, which is to keep its readers informed of the interconnectedness of a global village. While the focus is on the United States and its multilevel relationship with the world, Mother Jones explores what "looked good on paper" contrasted with the reality of the fallout from short-range thinking. It unveils what is behind the curtain of commonly accepted practices of policy that seem to be full of holes. It also exposes the underpinnings of what motivates governments, groups and corporations to make the decisions to enforce policies and make investments. These are not easy to read, nor are they "feel good" stories. It exposes assumptions made and the limitations of our country's infrastructure. One article I read really grabbed my attention, from the online edition of Mother Jones for May/June 2003. Titled "Soldiers Of Good Fortune," I learned that the military is becoming privatized. This was something I didn't know before; with so much focus on the stories of the soldiers and their families, as well as new and innovative equipment used in combat, I never knew that private military corporations are raking in billions of dollars for services that used to be done by our troops. This really gave me pause; it used to be that low-income people who needed education funding joined the military, but that was long before the complexities of post 9/11 demanded that we know more. In The Beat I was drawn to articles about "the 'hood," which reaffirm that it takes an entire village to raise a child. While those of us who don't use the term "'hood" to describe where we grew up, the teens writing about their 'hoods reveal a complex and almost beautiful community where much is gained from young and old, all with a common problem: The System. In understanding the impact of psychological programming and imprinting, the articles offered in The Beat gave me an insight of young minds that long for something different yet know nothing other than their 'hood which is not only dangerous and uncertain with no hope for a future, it is they only thing that is familiar to them. Here, I was surprised to read real, well-constructed thoughts from the inside of the minds of kids from the 'hood that landed in jail. The Beat gives a voice to those whom many would choose to ignore and the insights offered regarding the adults in charge of these young people reveal a well-founded skepticism: if you ain't been there, you don't understand. Reading several of these articles I see the truth in the relative futility of middle-class, educated people attempting to help these kids without any common ground for empathy. No matter how good the intention, the compassion or the education, being an outsider is extremely limited and often sadly counterproductive. Sources: Mother Jones Magazine (September/October 2005 and others), available online at: http://www.motherjones.com/ The Beat Within |Online| Pacific News Service, available at: http://www.thebeatwithin.org/news/ Read More