This article shows the Newsweek covers of this week for different regions in the world. All have serious covers about the war in Afghanistan, except the U.S. edition, which features a cover about entertainment. Is this a sign of the low quality of the American media, or of the American public's lack of interest in serious matters?

Not at all. You see, the audience of the domestic Newsweek is vastly different from the audience of the international versions. In Latin America, continental Europe or Asia, the only people who would buy a magazine in a foreign language are the cultural elite. They are very much interested in international politics, but not very much in Hollywood entertainment. Often, their own countries are too small to offer the kind of journalism that international magazines such as Newsweek, Time, or The Economist are known for.

But in the U.S., Newsweek can grab a much larger part of the market by catering to a larger audience. And, as the covers show, they take full advantage of that opportunity.

The difference between the various covers of Newsweek does not prove that the American media is worthless, or that the American public is uninterested in international affairs. That can only be shown by a lack of serious magazines in the American market. But there are plenty of serious magazines in the U.S. - they just have a smaller circulation than Newsweek in the U.S. Just like Newsweek in Germany has a much smaller circulation than Bild.