Joseph Mailander Asked Me & Some Other L.A. Types Five Questions Each About Various Things, Including Whether the Web Will More Impact Print or TV: I chose print. Part of my answer/rant:

What most newspaper execs fail to realize is that they've got a gigantic built-in advantage in this new world. Leverage the things only newspapers can do -- quality, ubiquity, depth, physical beauty/interest -- set the product at 21st century prices (free), give each story a URL that lasts forever, embrace competition with the zeal of a convert ... and you'll run the table. But the mindset is the obstacle, and after having been on the inside even of a forward-looking section of a newspaper that's trying hard right now to change cultures, I'm pessimistic.

03/22/2008 11:55 AM  |  Comment (1)

Nancy Rommelmann Has a Very Sweet and Accurate Post Remembering Cathy Seipp: Who died one year ago.

03/22/2008 08:10 AM  | 

McCain, and the Editorial Boards Who Love Him: This paragraph of Alan Bock's kind review of my book jumped out at me:

It is hardly uncommon for a man of personal charm also to be personally pugnacious, and McCain's temper is legendary. We at the [Orange County] Register experienced it in an editorial board meeting some years ago when the senator blew his stack over some issue so minor we have forgotten what it was. Matt Welch illustrates with a number of examples that McCain is most likely to explode when a criticism can be taken as a personal affront (which he does more readily than most) and, most significantly, contains a strong element of truth. He also shows that from an early age McCain was frequently looking for a fight, eager to show he was a tough guy.

Here's my open letter to the nation's editorial page editors from January.

03/22/2008 08:10 AM  | 

New L.A. Times Column From Me (and Nick Gillespie) -- "Where the Votes Are": Seven immediately popular things a candidate or political party could do to boost market share in our increasingly libertarian age.

03/20/2008 05:56 AM  | 

Hi! What are you doing down here?