The Washington Post today announced a partnership with The Volokh Conspiracy, a blog that covers law, public policy, politics, culture and other topics.
On the same day Dave Weigel questioned the business savvy of a publication that lets top talent walk out the door, they go and do something like this… and totally redeem themselves. [Before folks’ heads implode, yes, Weigel was referring to Ezra Klein. And yes—regardless of his political compass—Klein is a valuable commodity for a news organization that cashes checks with page clicks. —RS]
For those who are unfamiliar, the Volokh Conspiracy hosts a murderers’ row of law profs and legal minds who cover civic fodder from a [generally] libertarian or conservative perspective. Eugene Volokh, of the UCLA School of Law, founded the blog back in 2002—since then it’s grown into one of the most widely read legal sites in the country. It offers the best and brightest an opportunity to joust and jest in the virtual public square. It’s always insightful, sometimes irreverent, and now it will be hosted on a grand new stage.
As John Nolte at Breitbart writes, “Numerous reports claim that [Jeff] Bezos wasn’t interested in a multi-million dollar proposal Klein pitched, but he was apparently interested in giving Volokh full editorial control.”
I’m impressed by this decision. When Jeff Bezos purchased the Washington Post for $250 million back in August, I didn’t know what to expect from this self-made Internet mogul. Perhaps it should stand to reason that a man who made a fortune offering people choices, should offer the same alternatives to his readership. What a novel concept in today’s news atmosphere.
