Quick Hit Thoughts on the Atlantic

Here are some quick hits to get the week's blog postings started.

-In class, we discussed the idea of adding another section to the Atlantic, a new Voices tab. I think there is some promise there. My only hang up lies in the fact that I'm not sure that we want the Atlantic to be a spot to be a proving ground for up and coming writers. Given the code that we established for the magazine and knowing its history, there would have to be a concerted process to ensure that the writers we put in the Voices section are, in fact, up to Atlantic standards. If that's the case, and there is an extensive amount of checking out a writer, why just not put them onto the regular Atlantic role?

-Do the new Voices write only for a Twitter feed initially and leave the more heavy duty analysis up to the more established writers? I understand the value of injecting new blood and life into the magazine but I don't think we should completely overhaul who we are just to cater to a more mainstream crowd. Part of what makes The Atlantic unique and interesting is its non-mainstream stance. How do we bring in new readers while not betraying our regulars?

-As for the entertainment industry side, we need to cover the ways that candidates reach out to get celebs backing them. Whether we want to admit it or not, a large population of our country look to celebrities as guides. In 2008, Obama killed on the celeb front. That video has been viewed 15 million times since the beginning of Feb. John McCain couldn't dream of matching that. How much of an effect do celebs have on an election?

More later.