Divergent Puff: Sarah Palin in Vanity Fair and Runner's World

In the world of journalism, there are two kinds of intentionally biased reporting. There is the "hit piece," which is done with malice and spite, and there is the puff piece, which is done either out of veneration or promotion.

It is not uncommon for public figures to be the subject of both these kinds of journalism at various times in their career, but it takes a special personality to be the subject of both in the same month.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is exactly that kind of special personality.

In the upcoming August issues of Vanity Fair and Runner's World, Palin is the prominent subject. In the Vanity Fair article, author Todd S. Purdum provides the hit piece, and in the Runner's World article, reporter Dan Simmons provides the puff piece.

Purdum's article, "It Came from Wasilla," is being widely panned by conservatives, and its vitriolic tone, blatant bias and questionable sourcing has even liberals questioning the fairness of Vanity Fair. There are no comments from Palin (and it appears none were solicited), but this is just as well -- anything she would have said to Purdum would have been "reworked" (to use newsroom terminology), taken out of context and used against her. With no balance and vicious commentary, Purdum's piece is the classic definition of a "hit piece."

Meanwhile, Simmons piece, "I'm a Runner: Sarah Palin," is a fairly straightforward Q&A that provides readers a look at Palin's raw, unvarnished comments. While it doesn't speak to "the issues" or Palin's political philosophy, the article does provide insight into her philosophy of life. It is, nevertheless, quasi-"puff" since the subject of the article is Palin-the-runner and not so much Palin-the-governor (although it is impossible to divorce one from the other).

Substantively there is little, if anything, that is new or revelatory about the Vanity Fair piece, other than its extraordinary length. What is disturbing about it, however, is its sheer number of contradictions. For example, in several passages, Purdum expresses fascination at Palin's notoriety, yet calls her "a cipher (a nonentity) by choice" and then goes on to play into that very notoriety by writing about her. Early in the article, he stops just shy of calling her a bimbo, attributing her success to good looks alone. Later, however, in an attempt to insult Palin, he calls her "a political novice with an intuitive feel for the temper of her times, a woman who saw her opportunities and coolly seized them ..." Throughout the article, Purdum describes Palin as a disengaged nincompoop, yet is unable to account for her admittedly kept promises. To fill the gaping hole, he quotes a source who dismisses her success by simply saying "she had an easy go of it." In another passage, he calls her election "one of the flukiest successes in modern American politics," but cannot seem to nail down what exactly is so flukey about it. Purdum remains content just to leave his mystification hang.

Although most of Purdum's vitriol is extended to Palin, it isn't reserved solely for her. Purdum not only attacks her 2008 presidential running-mate, Arizona Sen. John McCain, he insults the entire citizenry of Alaska. Purdum refers to Alaska as a "resource-rich developing country ... where it is possible to be a conservative Republican and a pot-head, or a foursquare Democrat and a gun-nut."

Purdum is notorious for his hit pieces and for choosing easy targets. Last year, he wrote a scathing article on former President Bill Clinton for -- what else? -- infidelity. This was the writer, you may recall, who during the dog days of the Democratic primary was called a "real slimy guy" and a "scumbag" by the former president.

Oh, well. At least Purdum's hit pieces are nonpartisan.

Simmons' piece, on the other hand, is considered classic puffery for its avoidance of hard-hitting issues. He must be forgiven for this, though, because, after all, it is a magazine for runners. Neverthless, the Q&A format removes the prism of bias through which readers are so often forced to view quotes. And Palin's personality shines through as a result of it.

The Runner's World piece is more informative, as well. I learned about Palin's reverence for the Alaskan environment. I learned how important she believes Title IX was to her becoming a success. I learned what authors she likes.

I learned more about Palin from Runner's World than I ever did in Vanity Fair. I did learn one thing from the Vanity Fair article, though.

I learned that when it comes to Todd S. Purdum, Bill Clinton was right.