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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"You idiots!" says Paul Krugman to the WaPo for losing Ezra Klein
Ezra Klein of Wonkblog is leaving the Washington Post. Not news, exactly the impending move has been all over the blogs for a while. But now its official. And may I say respectfully to the Post: You idiots!
You see, Ezra and his team filled a huge gap. That gap exists throughout the news media, although the Times has, I believe, largely closed it in other ways. But it was especially severe at the Post.
Heres the problem: When youre covering policy, the usual tools of journalism cultivating sources, pounding the pavement, pulling out the Rolodex just wont cut it. You have to have people who actually understand the policy issues people who can pound a spreadsheet, or whose Rolodex includes academic experts as well as DC flacks.
Otherwise what you get at best is he-said-she-said reporting what I mocked many years ago as responding to claims that the earth is flat with the headline Views differ on shape of planet. Or, even worse, you rely on people who seem like authority figures because of their style or their official position, but are in reality just guys with an agenda, and often completely untrustworthy.
more at link: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/the-washington-post-is-de-kleining/?_php=true&_type=blogs&module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body&_r=0
I am so loving Dr. K today!
Cicada
(4,533 posts)Wonkblog is the best journalism in the US, but it's good because of their approach, to report honestly instead of being afraid of the right, so it should be easy to replace Klein - at a small fraction of his asking price. Sarah Kliff who will stay, is already better than Klein.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)so I always listen to what he has to say...
PDittie
(8,322 posts)to start his new venture. Considering what it will probably be worth in 5 years (compared to what the WaPo will be worth), Bezos probably choked.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)n/t
PDittie
(8,322 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)They buy up media and write biased op-eds and argue right-winger to right-winger. (Their idea of a "debate" is pitting Glenn Beck against Sean Hannity with O'Reilly as the moderator.)
Meanwhile America ignores them.
There was a time when the public depended on the media for their point of view.
We now have the Internet.
We know the Right is a tiny minority representing every foul thought and deed one can imagine.
Chathamization
(1,638 posts)Krugman: "The Post I really dont think Im being unfair here has been particularly guilty of the latter sin. Colin Powell says Iraq is building WMD well, that settles it, doesnt it?"
Here are some of the articles that appeared in The Post during the run-up to the Iraqi war: "Bush Clings to Dubious Allegations About Iraq," "U.N. Finds No Proof of Nuclear Program; IAEA Unable to Verify U.S. Claims," "Observers: Evidence for War Lacking; Report Against Iraq Holds Little That's New," "Evidence on Iraq Challenged; Experts Question If Tubes Were Meant for Weapons Program."
Certainly, they also ran their share of articles parroting administration claims (as almost every large new organization did at the time), but I'd argue they were one of the better outlets at the time. If I remember right, they did a better job at going after administration claims than the New York Times did.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)There is one thing she can do that would change me cat quick,
a pledge to put Krugman in charge of the treasury,
AND
A promise to not only keep the third way hacks out of his way, but to actively support him when they attack him.
Of course, I might as well be wishing for a billion dollars and world peace.
anasv
(225 posts)ha ha ha ha ha ha
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)he sounds like a DUer!