Battle Royale

Looks like we may have a slugfest on our hands. As I predicted, not too many who make a point of following the media enjoyed Judge Posner's dissection in the New York Times Book Review. They're used to thinking of themselves and their subject as special, so to be treated like any other market phenomenon tastes bitter.

Now, NYT editor and loose cannon Bill Keller openly attacks Posner's review. He accuses Posner of being (actually, he simply assumes Posner is) hostile to the First Amendment rights of journalists as a judge. He also can't bear what he sees as Posner's "market determinism"--the idea that the living, breathing humans he's sees every day at the office could actually be subject overall to market demands regardless of their individual beliefs and actions is beyond Keller's understanding.

I enjoyed Posner's original review, finding its approach bracing. I must admit, however, on certain points I found him weak and vague. (In some ways this was inevitable since he took on a large subject, and quite a few books as well.) Overall, though, I thought he scored some useful points. But until Keller's harrumphing, I didn't realize how useful they were.

Posner may not understand a lot of things about the media, but Keller seems to understand nothing about Posner's views. I'm sure Posner can take care of himself--his career is filled with full-frontal assaults. In fact, he's written that in the world of ideas, criticism is like oxygen. Furthermore, I don't think Posner minds (unlike, say, certain Justices) having The New York Times mad at him. So the ball's in your court, Judge.

ColumbusGuy says: These people aren't playing in the same pool. It does Posner no good whatever to respond to them and every bit of good to let them flail. Powerline notes the contrast between Keller's silliness here and his earlier memo as noted by Tapscott.