Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Murdoch media empire is in full damage-control mode. But the pain and revelations keep on coming. As employees realise that self-preservation trumps loyalty, more and more spills into public view. How will it end?
Compelling profile of the Daily Mail, Britain's most powerful newspaper. Closest US equivalent, Fox News. Run, with a furious energy, by Paul Dacre, whose editorial meetings are known as the Vagina Monologues. For reasons made clear
Study in contrasts: Washington Post and New York Times. Post has been cutting costs, losing prestige, re-establishing profits in home markets. Times has been spending heavily on global ambitions, but without revenues to match
"Sad story, isn't it?" On money, management battles and missed opportunities at the Washington Post. Under the successors of Katherine Graham and Ben Bradlee, is the paper still punching its weight?
Overview of Economist's writing on China since 1843. Wrong on Boxer rebellion, right on opium trade. Coverage in 19C "hindered greatly by the fact that The Economist relied heavily on the Foreign Office" for information
Reconstruction of ill-fated News International meeting at which Rupert Murdoch fixed strategy for dealing with phone-hacking scandal. Decided to contain, not investigate. “I will handle the board. Everyone else stay out of it"
Instructive email dialogue between journalist and fact-checker. "Really, Jim, respectfully, you’re worrying about very stupid shit." "Unfortunately I don’t get to decide which facts are stupid. I have to check all of them"
Helpful update on Amazon's decision to compete with traditional publishers. "On the West Coast people cheerfully call this kind of arrangement coopetition. On the East Coast it’s usually referred to as getting stabbed in the back"
"I deal in other people's agony. I do. You can't candy coat that. But if you can't live with that, you shouldn't be in this game. I'm not some nice person from a nice place. I'm not. I do my damndest to be a decent man"
Editors of literary magazines discuss whether to charge contributors for submitting articles. It feels wrong. And may be counterproductive, if contributors expect a detailed critique, instead of a simple "no", for their money
Enjoyable review of book on half a century of British satirical magazine, Private Eye. "For its unrivalled contribution to keeping the nation's candidates for public admiration on their toes, we should remain very grateful"
Sympathetic profile of Jill Abramson, first female executive editor of the New York Times. Not too long ago her appointment would have been unthinkable. Now has to smooth off her rough edges, grapple with paper's finances
Photo by Raymond Depardon
Deep under Manhattan lies an archive where things aren't always named as we know them now
"It has been wrong on every single major economic judgment over the past quarter century"
