Additional Op-Eds
The case for congressional pay raises
The Hill - 06/15/19“Congressional Democrats have withdrawn the proposed pay hike they’d been considering. Even Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who had endorsed the suggested $4,500 cost of living increase was conscious from the start that it would receive backlash …”
When the Media Goes Positive
Media Village - 03/18/19“Occasionally, an editor acknowledges what we all know to be true: that it's not the viewer's imagination -- the press really does prefer bad news to good news …”
Twitter: A News Network in Its Own Right?
Media Village - 03/11/19“President Trump isn't the only one. Twitter has become the platform of choice for much of the political and so-called commentary class. Scrolling through Twitter and adding one's two cents …”
Is Funding the "Policy Mags" an Act of Charity?
Media Village - 02/12/19“And so goes The Weekly Standard. On December 14 its owner, Clarity Media Group, announced that the conservative magazine's December 17 issue would be its last …”
Coverage of the Shutdown Reminds Us That Spin Rules the Day
Media Village - 02/04/19“On Sunday, January 27, the president took to Twitter, unexpectedly criticizing his favorite network. "Never thought I'd say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner …”
Is a presidential appointment worth the risk?
The Hill - 02/12/19“Seated just across the aisle from the Supreme Court justices at last week’s State of the Union were the members of President Trump’s Cabinet. As the headlines were quick to tell us, the Cabinet …”
When It Came to the Shutdown, Was the Media Informing or Entertaining?
Media Village - 01/25/19“The late-night comedians have been having their fun. They did the same during the government shutdown in October of 2013, when Conan O'Brien …”
Something Is Happening in the Commentary Space
Media Village - 01/17/19“In the time since The New York Times published an opinion piece on the so-called “Intellectual Dark Web” in May, Quillette, arguably the standard-bearer of the space, has continued its march forward …”
The Dangers Of Yale Renaming Its History
Hartford Courant - 12/12/18“This past weekend, the Yale Corporation renamed one of its residential colleges for computer scientist Grace Hopper, dropping the name of John C. Calhoun, whose political philosophy included …”
Is the press prepared for the possible easing of partisan tensions?
Media Village - 09/13/18“When it comes to polarization, perhaps the tide is finally turning. It’s likely no coincidence, for example, that many of the tributes to John McCain gravitated towards stories of reaching across the aisle …”
The Biggest Problem When It Comes to Polarization
Merion West - 07/27/18“As Mayor Koch used to say: ‘If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist.'”
Political Journalism: Rarely Scratching the Surface of Life
Merion West - 04/26/18“But the columns that stick with us most of all rarely touch on the polls or the name-calling. Instead, they might be retired Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Bill Lyon’s ‘viewpoints’ columns, which chronicle the dissolution of his memory as he suffers from Alzheimer’s.”
Why Are there No Skyscrapers between Midtown and the Financial District?
Merion West - 05/11/17“Is there a better explanation than the traditional answer of bedrock? Some experts claim the origin of the gap in the skyline actually is more related to demographics and discrimination.”
Does the TSA Go too Far?
Merion West - 05/10/17“Has the federal government not yet overstepped its boundaries when it uses radiation to strip-search its citizens each time they fly and frisks them as they go to football games?”
The Loss of Intellectual Humility
Merion West - 04/14/17“It’s amazing how unwilling people are to reconsider their beliefs, even in light of persuasive new evidence to the contrary. Here’s one answer of why.”
Will History See Another “New Nixon”?
Merion West - 08/26/16“However, we must remember the nobler side of Nixon: his choice to decline a full scholarship to Harvard to remain in California and provide for his younger brothers, his tenacious pursuit of the woman who repeatedly repudiated his advances before acquiescing and agreeing to marry him, and his vision for an enduring global peace”
Where Are the Flags in U.S. Universities?
Merion West - 08/08/16“Over the course of recent visits to several American colleges, I have been surprised to encounter an abundance of flags and banners brandishing foreign nations and various advocacy groups …”
Congress must address scourge of mandatory sentencing
News & Observer - 01/19/15“In a notable instance of bipartisanship, Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) co-sponsored a bill last session seeking to address concerns about the harmful effects of mandatory minimum sentencing. If it had passed …”
New Voices: TSA's intent to protect us is robbing us of our freedom
Orlando Sentinal - 09/14/13“The Transportation Security Administration, which was created after Sept. 11, 2001, to provide nationalized security at American airports, has expanded its presence to train stations, bus terminals, concerts and sporting venues …”