The Value of an Anachronism

From an op-ed called You Have, in Your Hands, an Anachronism:

Recently, the bureau system of [newspaper] coverage of Washington has collapsed. There is no one to watch the congressional delegations, a mission that once employed Washington reporters who kept their representatives in the light of scrutiny. Twilight has fallen for the news tradition, and with it the transparency of government.

There is no indication that Web-only publishers will generate the kind of wealth that will enable them to replace ailing newspapers. Like radio, the Web favors commentary, not reporting. Opinion cannot be better than the reporting that triggered it.

By Llewellyn King, host of "White House Chronicle" on PBS. Originally written for Hearst Newspapers; reprinted in the Star Tribune on Jan. 24, 2008