What’s the essence of blogging? | Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science
Josh Marshall writes the following for the 25th anniversary of his political blog, Talking Points Memo, listing what he identifies as his three principles of blogging: One: You can’t cover political news well unless you’re familiar with and care about the substance. You can’t cover a piece of new health care policy legislation if you don’t have a solid grounding in health care policy. And you can’t do it well if you don’t care about the outcomes. You can’t cover a Hill story or a campaign well if it’s just a game. Your investment doesn’t need to be partisan. But it should be real. You can’t possibly chart the incremental developments in a story without a basic grasp of how those developments connect up to civic or human outcomes. Otherwise you’re inevitably skimming over the surface, trying to write a novel while being indifferent to the human condition. Two: Good political reporting should be something you’re dying to read. It shouldn’t be a chore. Headlines should punch you right bet