All buzz, no substance

Dan, what do you think about comments from WP executives that suggest this is more about appeasing Republican power-brokers than actual reader confusion?John Harris: “They have never complained in a formal way to me, but I have heard from Republicans in informal ways making clear they think his work is tendentious and unfair.”Len Downie: “We want to make sure people in the [Bush] administration know that our news coverage by White House reporters is separate from what appears in Froomkin’s column”

Lis — Some of the comments you cite are indeed boneheaded. I’m focusing on the big picture: (1) Is Froomkin’s blog mislabeled? Yes. (2) Is anyone trying to get rid of it? No. Given those two facts, this is not worth the handwringing now taking place.

Dan, The “big picture” is whether his column is mislabled? As a reader of the WaPost I’ve been blown away by all of this. I don’t care what Dan’s column is named. I do care that powerful j’s and editors at the WaPost are requesting the name be changed, not because of what readers say or object to, but because powerful republicans find it “tendentious and unfair” (at the very least, that is what triggered it). I don’t think you have the slightest idea what the “Big Picture” is here. Do you really believe all the people upset about this are defending the name of his column? Do you think if Dan changed it himself two weeks ago, and put a note such as, “I didn’t want readers to be confused, so I decided to change the name to ‘My Thoughts'”, he’d have gotten even 10 emails about it? Come on. I came of age reading the Times and Post, and had such a great respect for both. Now I’m constantly let down and depressed by both.

Dan,here’s a question I hope you’ll respond to. In his highly disturbing comments, John Harris states, “It seems to me, based on many examples, beyound doubt that a large share of readers do believe [that Dan’s column is written by a WH reporter].” My question – if a reader doesn’t understand that Dan isn’t a “WH reporter” after reading his column, wouldn’t that make it obvious that the reader doesn’t know the difference between a WH reporter and a columnist conceptually? For those people, if you change his column’s name, would it mean anything to them? Like they’d all of a sudden think, “OH!? He’s NOT a WH reporter? this is all so confusing.” Maybe the Post should have a bright red box on each page, explaining the difference between columnists, reporters, editors, comics, etc. That’ll learn the rubes.

Why do you think Jarvis calls it “Buzz Machine?” It’s all about Jeff. That’s all it ever was.