Earlier this week, Yves Smith of naked capitalism posted one of the most brutal takedowns I have ever seen. From Project S.H.A.M.E.: Megan McArdle, a Covert Republican Party Activist Trained by the Billionaire Koch Brothers.
If you have any interest in media or journalism, it is absolutely must read material.
I never cared for McArdle’s work — I always found it shallow and intellectually dishonest (see below). I erroneously assumed that some of her less intelligent statements were the result of ignorance. But I never suspected her to be an utterly corrupted pseudo journalist.
Now I know better. She is simply appalling, and any publication that publishes anything in the future under her byline is off my reading list.
I’d like to hear from the Atlantic, who should be thoroughly shamed for publishing this tripe for years. Putting out the terrific work of Derek Thompson barely scratches the surface of atoning for your sins.
In this modern age of blogs and digital media, it is now incumbent upon every publication that has hired non-journalists — including the Washington Post running columns by characters like me — to thoroughly vet these non-journo journalists.
Readers have a right to know if bylined authors work for the publication they are writing in, or as we learned about McArdle, somebody else entirely.
Previously:
Smart People Saying Dumb Things (October 18th, 2008)
No Financial Villains . . . ? (July 13th, 2009)
Rule of Law: Banker Criminality Demands Prosecution (May 20th, 2011)
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