The Economist Envy

The magazine, that is, not the profession.  (Though, it might work as well.)

More than a year ago, the Atlantic (itself suffering from the very envy!) observer this in the context of Time and Newsweek trying to compete against this magazine newspaper from Britain:

The Economist is truly a remarkable invention—a weekly newspaper, as it calls itself, that canvasses the globe with an assurance that no one else can match. Where else, really, can you actually keep up with Africa? But even as The Economist signals its gravitas with every strenuously reader-unfriendly page, it has never been quite as brilliant as its more devoted fans would have the rest of us believe. (Though, one must add, nor is it as shallow as its detractors would tell you it is.) ...
Repositioning your brand today is so much harder than it was in the old days, especially when you’re destined to be seen as a copycat product.

Fast forward a few months. Newsweek has been sold, and is fast disappearing. US News decided to become a web-based arbiter of everything from best hospitals to universities, and the Onion has a great satire on  Time:

TIME Announces New Version Of Magazine Aimed At Adults