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Why 'The Economist' Thrives While 'Time,' 'Newsweek' Fade

Both Time and Newsweek are seeking to avoid the fate of U.S. News & World Report, which after years of semi-relevance gave up on the idea of weekly publication entirely. But recent tactical retreats by the newsweeklies, such as reduced circulation, are a decade too late.

In contrast, The Economist has been growing for years. Its U.S. circulation is nearing 800,000, and it will inevitably overtake Newsweek soon enough. How does it do it? The Economist prides itself on distilling the world into a compact survey. Another word for this is blogging, or at least what blogging might be after it matures. And that's a very good place to be in 2009.

The real value of The Economist lies in its smart analysis of everything it deems worth knowing--and smart packaging, which may be the last truly unique attribute in the digital age.

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