Time's War Room

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, April 1, 2003

Byline: Michael Learmonth

On the Friday before President Bush's final deadline on Iraq, Time managing editor Jim Kelly convenes the staff for a final all-hands meeting before the issue closes. By the time the issue reaches its readers, the nation, in all likelihood, will be at war.

On deck are two major stories: a historic piece on the breakdown of diplomacy that lead to war, and that of a married couple, both serving in combat roles in the Gulf, while their daughter is cared for by a grandparent back home. Also in the mix are the Elizabeth Smart brainwashing story, and an update from Pakistan on the hunt for Osama.

Barring any dramatic news on Saturday, the leading candidate for the cover in Kelly's mind is the "diplo" piece. The art is good on the military family story, but one editor suggests it seems very "pre-war." Kelly still thinks it has a shot. "We want to put a human face on the folks over there," he says. "It still might be a cover option."

As copy comes in on Friday and Saturday, Kelly is struck at the strength of the reporting in the "family" piece. "No one else had managed to do the husband, wife, and child back home story in real time," he says. "I decided I wanted this story on the cover."

Monday morning Time hits the streets with a dramatic closeup of a female face beneath a helmet and goggles. The headline: "When Mom Goes to War."