Newsdesigner.com | Saddam Execution Front Pages

Saddam Execution Front Pages

5:10 PM, December 30, 2006

Also, I've been playing around with something as a daily feature. Here's a page with the Top 50 (or so) circulation U.S. front pages from today.

Comments

Heads up: After you hit "post" things may be slow and you may get an error. Most likely, your comment did post. Apologies. I'm looking for a fix.

I find it quite sad to see that mention of Former U.S. President Ford is basically not mentioned on the majority of these front pages.

Posted by: LorriM at December 30, 2006 9:05 PM

Wow...this is an interesting collection. There are so many overlapping themes and similar photo choices. The treatments range from dramatic to matter of fact.

Posted by: Justin Kistner at December 30, 2006 9:11 PM

Love the new Top 50 Circulation feature, really easy to navigate and great pop-up feature.

Posted by: Steven Yenzer at December 30, 2006 9:16 PM

I really like the Top 50 feature as well. I think it would be even better if you were to do a world-wide sample.

Posted by: cichlisuite at December 30, 2006 10:18 PM

Really love the top 50 feature, mark. Very slick and easy to navigate. Bravo!

Posted by: Dorsey at December 31, 2006 1:35 PM

Bush blaze in the HELL!

Posted by: Chandler at December 31, 2006 3:59 PM

Hey Mark, nice work on the new feature.

Posted by: Geoff Pinnock at December 31, 2006 4:40 PM

"SADDAM SWINGS"

Says it all really. What an awful, awful headline.

"Say Hi to Hitler"

What?!!

"BAGHDEAD"

What a time to pull out a pun.

The above examples have shocked me. I always assume my own country's (the UK) tabloids were worse that their U.S counterparts...but now I'm not sure. That's an incredible lack of respect...even if it is Saddam.

I don't really care about offending his legacy, his family etc. But what I do care about is the cheapness that the examples I gave above give to what is a defining moment in our lifetimes.

The Chicago Tribune, I think, has it right.

In the UK, The Observer did it well - but it's coverage was generally poor. Shamefully, we can blame that on the holiday season. How dare they hang a murderous dictator while we're all watching TV and munching left-over mince pies. Typical.

Posted by: Dave at December 31, 2006 7:37 PM

OK, here's a question. Let's count how many papers tripped over themselves and threw their style books out the window just for a dull, alliterative headline.

"Hussein hangs"? No one's called him Hussein on second reference in, like, ever? Since the Jordanian king came to power? He's always been Saddam, just Saddam. But someone (well, many dozens of someones) thought "Hussein hangs" was -- more dignified? -- than "Saddam swings," and we all know style's just optional, right?

[/rant]

Posted by: Denise Covert at January 2, 2007 11:06 AM

I loved your Top 50 feature and think it should be a regular part of your extended coverage of treatments to big-news items. The expansion view that allowed me to download some of the more interesting A1s for a closer look was MUCH appreciated.

I also kinda agree with Dave from the UK and Denise. While the first thing I thought of the next morning was to get a copy of the NY Post to see how they treated the story, the coverage in general could have been much better. The Tribune did it best with the impact of that photo and running Saddam's "obit" next to the story of the execution. The Globe and the Bee added a nice touch with the series of photos through Saddam's entire life and the life of the "story" since invasion, capture, trial, and death.

Keep up the great work!

Posted by: Brian at January 8, 2007 11:45 AM

The UK Guardian did a very interesting cover. Here's a link from two editors talking about their decision to publish the photo:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1984804,00.html

Politics aside, it made for a beautiful cover if you can find it.

Posted by: Dave in Sydney at January 8, 2007 4:49 PM

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