As an editor at OpEdNews.com, I run into a number of submissions of links to articles from various sources.  What Michael Massing wrote seemed worthwhile enough to share with others.  

This article appeared in the September 24, 2009 edition of The New York Review of Books:

Taking paper out of "newspaper" was a good business move.  Massing, once at Columbia Journalism's Review, explains challenges and variations of what is happening in popular news gathering.

First comes the vital need to make enough money to compete.  Simply put, it's increased online advertising or subscriptions--both in competition from MSM, with their own blogs and spinoffs.  Massing isn't bashful about discussing the future of mainly bricks and mortar concerns as far as their bottom line is concerned.  

If you haven't noticed, NPR has revived the radio classic "This I Believe" in which people -- some famous, some not so famous -- present essays on the beliefs that shape their lives.  

If you haven't been tuned in (or even if you have), you owe it to yourself to go and read the essays already posted, including Penn Jillette's "positive disbelief" in God, Deirdre Sullivan's assertion that you should always go to the funeral, and especially Studs Terkel's uplifting belief in the power of a community in action.

Still quoting Tom Paine: "He sees his species not with the inhuman idea of a natural enemy" -- you're either with us or against us.  No, he sees his species as kindred." --(from Studs Terkel's "This I Believe" essay)

I'm submitting an essay of my own, but since it's unlikely they'll ever pull my name out of the hat, I thought I'd share it with you.  And if you have some core belief of your own, I'd hope you'd share it in return.

Did anyone hear Wade Goodwyn's discussion (Weekend Edition Sunday) of the questions the trial raises about the TX Judicial System? They explained the problem of asking for a partisan judge in a state where judges are elected.

A man interviewed--I think it was DeLay's lawyer or someone connected with DeLay--said something to the effect of "someone has to tell Ronnie Earle 'Whoa, there, calm down, Chicken Little!' "

I didn't hear the entire interview, but what I heard was appalling. The interviewer didn't pointed out that DeLay's team started this whole mess. No one pointed out that Earle made his counter-challenge in order to demonstrate the absurdity of DeLay's move.

Did anyone hear the entire interview? Was there any balance? Did anyone catch who it was who said the Chicken Little comment? My wimpy computer (with dial-up connection over old, decrepit telephone lines) is not letting me listen to the broadcast from the NPR website. Those with decent computers can listen here.