February 8, 2007
From the desk of Jane Galt:The Economist breaks new ground
The Economist is trying an experiment that I think breaks new ground on the web: we're putting all the Letters to the Editor we get, except those that, say, advocate for the Fourth Reich, on a blog as they come in. I think you'll be surprised at how interesting it is, and the letters are sparking a lively debate among readers. I mean, on what other blog is the top debate over the map of Macedonia?
Posted by Jane Galt at February 8, 2007 7:32 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound linksVery interesting.
Any idea when they will experiment with bylines?
A superb idea, methinks -- and a model I hope other magazines and newspapers copy.
Being a loyal reader for about twenty years, I've always been a bit perplexed about how they choose which letters to include. I've read some embarassing screeds next to "well, I guess we *have* to print it" stuff from, say, the Singaporean ambassador ("... so we cane gum-chewers? You gotta problem with that?").
Actually, the "how dare you defame our dictatorship" responses from the official stooges in Cuba, North Korea, et al, should make for some high comedy ... assuming they really will print *every* letter.
I think that it's a really great start.
Now I want to see a wiki associated with every article, seeded with the reporter's notes for the story, so that readers can get all of the details + photos that, for whatever reason, didn't make it into the final article and so that the people covered in the story can add information.
I've tried to flesh out these ideas a bit more the post linked from my name for this comment.
Does everyone really address the letters to "Sir," or do y'all add that in when you publish them?
Makes the whole magazine kind of a blogpost. Cool. Went down only a few before I found a letter I really liked,
http://www.economist.com/debate/theinbox/2007/02/apparently_irony_cannot_be_tra.cfm
I think it is a great idea and step. Congrats.
The one risk of course is that now people will begin writing letters just so that they appear on this blog.... which would def change the quality and angle of the letters you receive.
"breaks new ground on the web"?
We do that at the newspaper I work for, and we were latecomers to the party. Other papers have been doing it for months, years for all I know.
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