One of the reasons I'm relaxed about the evolution of @NYTimes into the American @Guardian is that I feel both it and the @NewYorker have both an unhealthy hegemonic position and are venerated in a way that isn't good for them. A more "British" US media would open up some space.

I strongly believe the US media ideology that one newspaper or magazine must be the "paper of record" or the "benchmark" flattens creativity, creates groupthink and actually distracts from what the US needs which is public funding for local journalism and existing public media.

Not to mention the cult of the @NYTimes and the @NewYorker writes often more important role played the @WashingtonPost and the @TheAtlantic out of history either in breaking news or in the battle of ideas.

Not only is @nytimes "paper of record ideology" a myth: @washingtonpost breaks as many scoops and been superior in much domestic news for 50 years. It is also pernicious: too much in faith in one paper's editorial line gave us corrosive media groupthink from Iraq to #HerEmails.