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Oops! What am I still doing here? | 38 comments (38 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Oops! What am I still doing here? (4.00 / 2)
Long ago ...

When the Pond was still a community!

Froggy Bottom Cafe - Feb. 2015

Martin Longman is an editor and prolific writer for the Washington Monthly. Always had a following when he was at Daily Kos as Booman23. The Booman community too has lost all front pagers and has no ties to international writers or topics. One needs to toe the official Democratic party line ...

Have a peaceful cultural summer

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Nov 30th, 2017 at 07:33:40 AM EST
Re: Oops! What am I still doing here? (4.00 / 3)
As the name suggests, Booman is essentially a one man blog. I hope that doesn't happen to ET. Martin seems to be gradually migrating to a paid position at the Washington Monthly with BT gradually becoming a legacy site or test bed for first drafts of stories.

Trump's victory appears to have had a traumatising effect on the liberal blogosphere in the USA, silencing many and causing others, like Booman, to adopt much more conservative positions. No doubt there are many underground or emergent sites I am not aware of, but somehow it is hard to care any more.

I have written 64 stories on US politics in my time here but none for a year because the US seems almost beyond hope.  Any country that could elect Trump, even with a seriously skewed and flawed electoral system, has some pretty basic problems that can't be papered over by the marginal change of governance a (still somewhat unlikely) Democratic victory in the Mid-terms would imply.

In some ways I am reminded of when I did my Master's thesis on Apartheid, inspired by the many political refugees from South Africa I had met in Ireland and the UK. I never dreamed of visiting South Africa while Apartheid was in force as I would have felt complicit in the system.

Now, if it were not for the many excellent US friends I have got, I would feel the same way about visiting the US.

Index of Frank's Diaries

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Nov 30th, 2017 at 11:45:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"a paid position" (4.00 / 4)
Having been long-term resident (14 years) in the D.C. tri-state area ("DMV"), I am familiar with Washington Monthly print magazine. I never subscribed to it or Washingtonian magazine or Bethesda magazine. The limited circulation and editorial purview of these titles by and large reflect the parochial interests of affluent "Belt Way" --gov employees, gov contractors, gov consultants, attys and lobbyists-- "permaculture". Enumerated lists, "The x Best Y," are recurring promotional events in print editions. I would hardly look for their electronic product or presume the editorial formula published thereby were any more authoritative than that approved for "Belt Way" consumption. But. Far be it for me to mistake the rewards offered to Booman, legendary progressive blogger, to propound a "more conservative" message are imaginary.

What I find is deep pockets are as persuasive as they are self-serving. Washington Monthly titles are one and the same publisher and funders.

Washington Monthly, print edition
washingtonmonthly.com | About, masthead, board, and funders
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 2016

The project is the brainchild of Jeff Hamond, vice president and director of the philanthropy practice at government relations firm Van Scoyoc Associates. Mr. Hamond, who previously served as Senator Charles Schumer's economic-policy director, said that in his experience, Capitol Hill staffers had little exposure to philanthropy, aside from the annual Foundations on the Hill event.
[...]
Fundraising for Nonprofit Journalism

Diane Straus[s], publisher of The Washington Monthly, sees Successes of Philanthropy [washingtonmonthly.com subdomain] "as a way to deepen our relationships with foundations, "some of whom we know, some of whom we don't."

Founded in 1969, the magazine is itself a nonprofit.

philanthropy.washingtonmonthly.com | About, funders

By comparison to the budding conglomerate, what eurotrib.com gives to me, lurkers, and "unique visitor" is reliable points of reference --a personally-selected, volunteer hub-- to current affairs. This modest aspect of "net neutrality" becomes increasingly valuable as barriers to information and communication between people who rely on commercial IP hosting become more complex, more expensive for each subscriber. And they will, definitely.

 

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri Dec 1st, 2017 at 02:19:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Oops! What am I still doing here? | 38 comments (38 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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