Economist leaves fluff news to others

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune writes Monday about how The Economist rarely covers the fluff news found in other publications.

Rosenthal wrote, “Its subject matter may not always be serious, but it’s also rarely trivial.

“It is a magazine resolutely committed to expanding one’s worldview — and expanding its roster of international correspondents — at a time when news organizations of all stripes seem bent on reducing both resources and space for international coverage, fully intending to focus on matters of local import but easily distracted by the latest blond’s latest breakdown.

“‘You’re right. We have sadly undercovered Britney Spears,’ said John Micklethwait, The Economist’s editor in chief. ‘You turn on your television anywhere now, you get so much pap that what I think people want is substance. We’re going to make them think. There’s no great theme behind it. We just follow the things we think are interesting. … It is a part of the market that not everybody is in. But we’ve found the top of the market is bigger than other people thought.’

Read more here.