Newsweek has done it again. It’s getting a lot of attention today for a cover photo that seems to have bypassed the editing process.

This week, Rep. Michele Bachmann is front and center with a wide-eyed, crazed expression and the headline “Queen of Rage.” Of course, her supporters have jumped to her defense with accusations of bias from the left. And the image, naturally, raises questions about sexism.

But Business Insider has it right when it says the cover distracts from important issues more than anything. And we wonder whether Newsweek’s cover image shenanigans aren’t going to do more harm than good to the magazine. Tina Brown is trying to raise the magazine’s profile, but she and the editorial team shouldn’t actively damage its credibility in the process.