From the Publisher

By Louis A. Weil III

If this issue of TIME seems vaguely familiar, it may be because you watched us putting it together on television last week. From early Monday afternoon through late Friday evening, an 18-member crew from C-SPAN, the cable television industry's public affairs network, followed our staff as we assembled our analysis of the week's news. C-SPAN, which is available in 53 million U.S. homes, aired a total of 25 hours of live coverage of our editorial meetings as well as taped interviews with editors; art, picture and production staff; and some of my publishing colleagues. Our video friends were even hosts of call-in programs that allowed viewers to discuss issues with TIME journalists.

"We wanted to take an in-depth and real-time look at the largest news weekly magazine in the U.S.," says Brian Lamb, the founder and chief executive officer of C-SPAN. "I really do believe that if someone watches only television to get his information, he's making a big mistake. You need to supplement your diet. Print gives you a more comprehensive perspective."

Lamb, a fellow Hoosier from Lafayette, Ind., conducted many of the interviews himself. His crew commandeered a small conference room on our 24th floor. "I was surprised at how quickly everybody adapted to the situation," says Barrett Seaman, deputy chief of correspondents. "Everything went much more smoothly than I expected."

Although TIME staff members appear on television with increasing frequency, this was the first time that our planning meetings had been broadcast live. Some of us noticed an unusual number of fresh coiffures and telegenic neckties, but, generally, what the viewers saw was remarkably close to the routine atmosphere of a normal work-week. Early in the week our journalists were probably all a little uptight, unwilling to risk spilling a favorite story idea or sounding less than omniscient. A few of our key decisions had to take place off-camera, but by the end of the week many staff members were becoming quite casual. Without waiting for the reviews, I think our debut in immersion video was considerably less exciting than a good basketball game but noticeably better than a bad day's debate in the Congress. And I am proud of our staff: no one said "Hi, Mom!" all week.