Is the weekend WSJ that bad?

William Powers of the National Journal attacked the weekend Wall Street Journal when it was introduced last year. He’s taking another look at it, and he says it’s still bad in many ways, but also not that bad in others.

Powers wrote, “No, in that the Saturday Journal is not truly scary or disastrous. It’s still The Wall Street Journal, after all, and most of the product is indistinguishable from what the paper offers up on weekdays — top-flight journalism, terrifically reported and edited.

“Last Saturday’s front page brought four meaty pieces, including a story about how the Mideast war is dividing Jews and Arabs in Detroit. Inside, the Hot Topic section covered the stem-cell veto, with a fine primer for anyone who hasn’t followed that story in detail. The Money & Investing section was solid and smart, as usual.

“The big problem, and the reason I can’t take back all the bile I spewed last year, is the section that is really the centerpiece of the Weekend Edition, the lifestyle/leisure package called Pursuits.

“Leisure may not be weighty stuff, but with all those Baby Boomers heading toward retirement, it could be the golden egg that saves newspapers. Getting it right is crucial.”

Read more here.