Who Needs the NY Times? We All Do. Still.
Sometimes the smartest thing for news-media revolutionaries to do is pause and admire what the New York Times does wonderfully well, when it does do it.
I've excoriated the blunderbuss of Eighth Avenue often enough to say credibly, I hope, that sometimes it reminds us that serious journalism requires more than instant videos, twitter alerts, reader feeds, and bolt-of-lightning insights. It demands climbing a tenement's stairs the second time to be sure of what's there, or making that last call to an elusive or forgotten source on one's list, or seeing the look on a campaign manager's face as you pop your question.
At times, in other words, there's no substitute for an experienced reporter's going there and bringing both public memory and professional skill to the job -- especially when the story seems obvious and familiar. Telling the truth always takes time and resources.
Corporate bottom-lining now cuts against giving reporters what they need, and it's maddening that so many serious journalists at other newspapers are being starved or corrupted. New media like TPM are striving to fill the breach and often succeeding.
But three pieces in yesterday's Times show what it is we all need to achieve. If you missed them, here they are, and here's why they matter.












