The Poltico has a story about a listerserv on which writers for mainstream outlets like the New York Times, Newsweek, Politico, and the New Yorker compare notes with contributors to explicitly liberal publications like the Nation, the American Prospect, Huffington Post, and the New Republic. On the one hand, it confirms that a lot of putatively objective reporters share political views with — and in some cases, see themselves as being on the same team as — American Prospect-style liberals. But that’s no surprise, is it? Also, the secrecy surrounding JournoList is a little creepy.

Having said that, I don’t really find it all that bizarre that people who agree with each other or have things in common would chat on a listserv. Nor do I think it’s all that outrageous that mainstream reporters are interested in what active liberals have to say, since liberals are running the country right now. I’d probably join. To me, the takeaways are 1.) Why doesn’t the right have anything comparable? and 2.) If we did, would anyone from Newsweek or the New Yorker care?