As Mickey Kaus notes, it was nice of the New York Times to level the playing field, by putting its bloviating columnists (and its stuffed moose toys) behind a pay-to-read firewall called TimesSelect:
Conservative kf reader D.A. emails to say she has stopped “enjoying the failure of TimesSelect” and now worries that it is failing too quickly–that soon the NYT will pull the plug, restoring the reach and influence of the paper’s predominantly liberal columnists. … D.A. suggests that
Republicans and right-wingers should sign up now and pay for it, just so NYT management think it’s a success and keep it going.
The conservatives could inspire themselves with the thought that they were in essence paying to erect a barrier between the NYT’s would-be opinion-shapers and a public that might all-too-easily have its opinions shaped. … Once the Times columnists’ “status as megapundits” has slowly ebbed away,
Then, and only then, Karl Rove can give the word and everyone will stop subscribing to TimesSelect. It won’t matter then if the embargo comes down, because people will have gotten along fine without their daily dose of the NYT’s correct enlightened thinking.
P.S.: A few days ago I jokingly called for replacing TimesSelect with “TimesDelete,” a service that would allow readers to pay to silence their least favorite columnists. D.A.’s email has made me realize how misdirected this proposal was. TimesSelect doesn’t need to be replaced by TimesDelete. TimesSelect is TimesDelete! The Times has taken the columnists people are most willing to pay for and removed them from the public discourse on the Web.
And perfect timing–as a whole host of citizen journalists are coming soon to a browser near you!
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