Not a good sign

Newsweek "editor-at-large" Evan Thomas and Time managing edtor Jim Kelly get together to discuss the future of print journalism, and the "event" is called "How dead is print?" Naturally, both say it's not dead a'tall, just a little runny around the edges.

Thomas, while conceding that internet news will only continue to gain in importance, can't get used to the, er, vitality of reader comments on web stories, calling them "'crude, vengeful, heedless, thoughtless, discouraging. . . they're mostly venting--they're like road rage.'"

He must read Try-Works. But Thomas really betrays his cluelessness in explaining why newspapers are still essential. It's--I swear to God--their objectivity:

Thomas admitted that citizen journalism in the form of blogs is gaining wide popularity, but he said that blogs cannot replace print news because they lack objectivity. "Journalists at least try to hide [their biases]," Thomas said. "That's just missing from most of the blogs."

"At least try to hide their biases." This is the guy, remember, who in 2004 said the MSM would portray Kerry and Edwards as "young and dynamic and optimistic and all[.] [T]here’s going to be this glow about them that is going to be worth, collectively, the two of them, that’s going to be worth maybe 15 points.”