Economist will get new owner, but not new voice

Ravi Somaiya of the New York Times writes about The Economist, which is unlikely to change its editorial voice despite the fact that it will be getting a new owner.

Somaiya writes, “The newspaper, founded in 1843, is put together in offices in the heart of London, a short stroll from the Ritz and a slightly longer walk from Buckingham Palace. The newsroom staff declined to move to Canary Wharf, a modern office development favored by financial firms, when its business staff did. Journalists usually either stay for a short period, and find The Economist is not for them, or for years, even decades, Mr. Crook said.

“Its culture, said Mr. Anderson, who went on to edit Wired magazine, is based on debate. During his tenure, every Monday morning the staff would gather in the editor’s office, to figure out, by means of argument, the leader articles that would form the backbone of the next issue. ‘It was the classic Oxford debating society style,’ he said. ‘I’ve never seen more of an intellectual meritocracy. It was a classic example of sink or swim. How did people end up with The Economist voice? That’s it right there.’

“It has also been shaped, said Mr. Crook, who rose to deputy editor, by the lack of bylines. ‘There is a genuine sense that we’re all in it together,’ he said. Writers edit, and editors write, which makes each considerate of the other. And writers can contribute on unexpected subjects — a recent article, headlined ‘Girlfriend in a Conga,’ focused on the popularity of the singer Morrissey in Mexico — because readers do not associate their names with one topic.”

Read more here.