I won't have time to work on this for a couple of days, but the nexus between the New America Foundation and the Atlantic is looking more and more interesting. It looks like a lot of people are creating a new type of journalism, in which journalists are hired out as experts. Think Washington Post and Atlantic Salons, in which all the money-losing aspects of the newspaper business are dumped in favor of targeted "reporting." Google and Lorel Space and Communications seem to be the most important backers right now.
Access to information is being gathered up, packaged, and sold. It always has been, and now it's the internet's turn, I guess. But people usually find a way of spreading information, no matter how much control the elite gains.
Kinda interesting, but the journalists behind it are going into direct competition with actual specialized experts.
ReplyDeleteThe only output that will get noticed is contrarian idiocy, like the one about the threat of falling birth rates.
Fortunately the Atlantic specializes in contrarian idiocy.
ReplyDeleteThe specialized experts tend to get ignored if they are drowned out by others. Iraq, health care, and so on. My theory is that the people who want to achieve specific goals know that if you present a counter-authority, you can negate the influence of any authority, whether your counter-authority is correct or not. (Based on Altemeyer's findings on authoritarianism.)
The goal is to provide a service--authority on tap. It doesn't matter who is buying, the journalism/think tank service provider writes or provides proof for whatever the client wants.
It's authority itself that is being sold. Just like the Atlantic bought McArdle's authority (her Ivy League credentials and faux upper-class background).
Speaking of contrarian idiocy, Ms Megan is now making the world better by encouraging people to think twice about flu vaccines: http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/10/to_vaccinate_or_not_to_vaccina.php
ReplyDeleteBonus stupid from the first commenter, who has forgotten the talking point that Europeans are prevented from getting drugs by socialism...
Had not been aware that Ms. McA. was a "fellow" there until Kudlow announced it on that thing you made me post.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, indeed.
Me neither. She sure didn't announce it. Here is proof that she has a Schwartz fellowship. Here is the pay--$25,000.000, minimum. That'll pay a lot of wedding bills.
ReplyDeleteMalaclypse,
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure movertyperguy is a parody troll.