Not according to the Washington Post. While the paper had the opportunity to talk to many people who missed the crisis, including a vice chairman of Goldman Sachs, its reporters could not find the time to talk to anyone who saw the crisis in coming for its article on the upcoming financial summit in Washington.
One of the people interviewed expressed the concern that the meeting would result in too much regulation. No one cited in the article raised what would seem to be an obvious concern, the politicians at the summit are too closely tied to the financial industry to promote regulations that will rein in abuses.
The Washington Post failed disastrously in its economic reporting over the last five years by almost completely excluding the voices of those who saw this financial crisis coming. As a result, Post readers would have been completely surprised by the crisis, unless they had access to better sources of economic information. Apparently, its editors have either learned nothing from this failure, or alternatively, they do not care.
I’m writing to you today with a sense of urgency that I haven’t felt since I began my journalism career. As executive editor of The American Prospect, I’ve witnessed firsthand how independent journalism serves as a crucial bulwark against the erosion of our democratic institutions. Today, that role is more vital than ever. Can you step up today and show your support?
The winds of authoritarianism are blowing stronger. We’re seeing alarming signs of a coordinated effort to silence critical voices and undermine the very foundations that support progressive causes. As Bob Kuttner presciently wrote in our August 2024 issue, a weaponized IRS could attack the very foundations of the progressive movement. We need readers to step up and help us dig in for the long haul.
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–David Dayen, Executive Editor
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