Kinsley sneers, Porter rebuts

On Feb. 10 Michael Kinsley wrote an op-ed piece in the Times arguing that there is no way news organizations will be able to monetize or get paid for news on the web. He cites his own experience with Slate. He says eventually there will be a few newspapers left with bureaus to cover news, and to heck with "the local rag."

I don't know if Kinsley ever worked for a daily newspaper, as opposed to weeklies. He shows a not-unfamiliar disdain for what newspapers actually do. He has no suggestion for coverage of small news.

On. Feb. 13, Eduardo Porter, intentionally or not, wrote a strong rebuttal to Kinsley and all the other denigrators. He provides stats and studies showing that the presence of newspapers---not TV or cable--promotes good government, increases community involvement, even contributes to voter turnout.

Right on right on!