Not reported here
: Times public editor Dan Okrent today tackles the not-reported-here syndrome at many news outlets. He explains: When somebody else breaks a big story, The Times wants to add its own reporting. But the result is sometimes that The Times doesn’t get around to printing the story at all, or buries it, and thus Times readers are ill-served.
I have a very simple suggestion for how to fix this. I hate to make weblogs the cure for everything including acne, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if The Times started a weblog with the sole mission of pointing to great reporting and big stories in all its competitors around the world (even including a few online competitors)? The Times edits the world for us. That’s what weblogs do. The Times’ kinda-sorta campaign blog is now unafraid to point to others’ campaign stories, at least in its right rail. Put two and two together and, voila, thanks to this new medium you would have a great new service from The Times.
: Also noted: Okrent breaks his format to give us one more item: a link to Slate’s comprehensive assault on The Times Magazine’s sex-slave story and the magazine editor’s response.
I consider that Okrent’s first blog post.
: Also noted: Okrent got a rave review from the right-wing WorldNet Daily.