I don’t understand the New York Times’ decision to put its op-ed columnists in a web-cage where bloggers and others cannot read them without a hefty annual fee. Newspapers tend to want to increase their influence, not actively restrain it. Maybe there’s a financial rationale that I don’t know about. But the NYT’s ad revenues online are soaring. Why cut off the flow? But here’s an interesting contrast: next Tuesday, this blog is going to be streamed to the Washington Post’s online opinion section. WaPo, unlike the NYT, is trying to reach out to bloggers and increase the interaction between old and new media. They approached me; and I’m always up for an experiment. WaPo will carry my lede item at any given time, and a couple of teaser headlines for the rest. I have no idea what to expect; and neither do they. But it’s one of the first real cooperative ventures between an independent blog and the MSM. The experiment will be over after four days, and the Post is hoping to repeat it with other bloggers – of all political persuasions. Don’t worry. I’m perfectly free to criticize the WaPo and I wouldn’t agree to any editorial limits on my blogging. So check it out next week. And let me and the WaPo know how you think it worked, how it could be improved, or anything else constructive. And I’m sorry, David, John, Tom, MoDo, et al. You deserve a little better, I think.
TORIES AND DRUGS: There’s an interesting development in Britain with regard to drug legalization. A leading contender for the Conservative party leadership favors it – globally.
The Dish 