Time Out

"I don't want to play your stupid game anyway," said the child when passed over for a place on the baseball team.

   The president says he rejected an invitation from Time Magazine to be on the cover as Person of the Year in its annual special edition.
   He claimed it would have meant sitting for an interview and a portrait for the edition, and he doesn't have the time.
   Cautionary note: Since when did the magazine's editors ask permission ahead of time when making their choice for the person -- man or woman -- who was most influential, for good or ill, in the world over the past year?
   Next question: Should they be required to ask permission before running any story about anyone?
   Traditionally, journalists have believed that the fastest way to get your name in the newspaper is to try to keep it out.
   It's not that the president has never appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. He was, a year ago, as Person of the Year in January when he took office. And there have been other times when a cartoon likeness appeared to illustrate coverage that was not entirely complimentary.
   And, of course, there was the fake cover that he had made up himself and posted at his golf resorts.
   So much for fake news.
   In any case, Time magazine had no comment on the president's claim that he was invited but turned down the offer.
   One wonders whether he was in fact contacted at all about his likeness appearing anywhere in any issue.
   When the journalistic profession reaches a point where editors must request clearance and permission before running a story, then the First Amendment is pointless.