Newspapers vs. Blogs

Matt Yglesias:

As you’ve probably heard, America’s newspapers are in trouble. A mix of the recession and the rise of the internet has left revenues down, and they’re shedding staff. And this is bad. Not just for the people who own newspapers. Not just for the people who work at newspapers. But for democracy itself. Without serious, sophisticated newspaper reporters you’d have nothing but pajama-clad, potty-mouthed bloggers spewing venom and nonsense. No serious reporting whatsoever, no real analysis, no objectivity, no informed citizens.

In an unrelated development, here’s an 800 word Dana Milbank article in The Washington Post about why is Peter Orszag sexy.

Meanwhile, here’s Jeff Frankel (presumably wearing pajamas) talking about Chilean economic policy and the political economy of counter-cyclical budgeting.

The NY Times is worth saving, and I have already decided that if they really start charging for online access I will pay it. The Washington Post is not worth saving.