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Inside the paper: June 26 edition
Editors' blog
Tuesday June 23rd 2009
When choosing the front page story, the Weekly team have to ask what will be relevant for the readership and whether it will still be news by the time readers get the paper. Deputy editor Abby Deveney guides you through this week's choices during production of the latest issue
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Tuesday June 23rd 2009
A feature on the modelling industry (above) left deputy editor Abby Deveney stunned
Sometimes the front page story is clear. Sometimes it's not. The questions we always ask are: What will be relevant for Guardian Weekly's articulate global readership? What will still be viable as a piece of news when the paper is pushed through the letterbox later in the week?
The story on the front of this issue stacked up well against those questions. It's Guardian health correspondent Sarah Boseley on how the vast sums ploughed into healthcare globally over the last several years have made a difference in tackling Aids, malaria and TB. Many lives have been saved, though some poorer countries have seen a drain of talent away from health services as the funding has risen. As a trend piece, it's intelligent, reasoned and rounded. It speaks to social issues on a global scale, to those afflicted and assisting, and it offers some optimism.
Our page three piece also stacked up well: the story of a young woman who, in a matter of moments after her death on the streets of Iran, has become iconic of the opposition movement. Images of Neda Soltani's death, recorded on a mobile phone as it unfolded, were sent from Iran to the Netherlands and posted to the internet within minutes. The pictures of a pretty young woman, 26, educated, and doing nothing worse than walking the down the street before she was shot, have become a firebrand for demonstrators around the world.
Timothy Garton Ash rounds out that coverage with a piece of commentary arguing that Twitter can now be more powerful than guns as technology changes the face of rebellion.
Beyond the hard news pages, our World Diary showcases the knowledge of correspondent Declan Walsh, who is writing exclusively for the Guardian Weekly. Sitting in his local cramped café, Walsh finally finds a reason to be cheerful in Pakistan. But behind a light-hearted intro of cricket and cooking, Walsh tells of complex security strategies in play that balance invisible alliances and old rivalries. Check it out on page 9.
We've also got the Swiss offering special zones for the rich, a piece on a Melbourne gang matriarch, and Canada and the US at odds over protectionism. Something for everyone, really.
Some feature-writing on the modelling industry left me stunned after an initial read. I wonder what you'll make of it. Pretty young girls left vulnerable in a secretive and highly competitive world. The problems they encounter go far beyond food, as you'll find on our Review pages.
We've also got coverage of the environment, religion, politics and film towards the back of the book (as we call the latter pages). The movie piece features favourites from around the world and a rather provocative photo to accompany. Too racy, maybe? Let us know what you think.
On our culture pages, I especially like the piece on Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist who is obsessed with polka dots. Kusuma, who lives in a psychiatric institution, has put the dots – which in her mind's eye grow on floors, furniture and 'into her soul' – to artistic purpose. Her work is on display at an exhibition called Walking in my Mind at London's Hayward Gallery. Talk about making the most of a situation.
We always like to hear the views of readers: You can follow our work on next week's paper and read about the latest web news stories on Twitter or send letters to the editor at weekly.letters@guardian.co.uk. And if you're experiencing something of newsy interest wherever you live in the world, submit your account to our website.
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