An interesting development at one of America’s major publications:
Washingtonpost/Newsweek Interactive has announced the creation of a new collaborative blog called PostGlobal, which will unite eminent journalists and thinkers from around the world in an ongoing online discussion about the impact of politics, economics, policy and culture on international relations.
Twice each week, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius and Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria will pose a question to the site’s diverse group of panelists, who will then file responses online from over 30 countries from China to Iran, from South Africa to Saudi Arabia, from Mexico to India. Their responses are anticipated to give a reflection of what is important globally and how various issues are perceived in different parts of the world.
The panelists and bloggers on the site will include some of the best-known writers, commentators, and editors on the planet, bringing together independent voices from the places where news is happening. Additionally, an expanded comments feature will offer readers an opportunity to join the discussion with these writers as well as with one another.
Some of the featured bloggers for the launch of PostGlobal include the Economist magazine’s former editor Bill Emmott (England); La Stampa newspaper columnist Lucia Annunziata (Italy); The Indian Express editor-in-chief Shekar Guptar (India); Hu Shuli (China), the managing editor of Caijing (Business and Finance Review), Foreign Policy Magazine editor Moises Naim, (Washington D.C.); Palestinian columnist Daoud Kuttab (West Bank), who is also director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah; and senior editor William M. Gumede (South Africa) from the Financial Mail in Johannesburg.
The range of contributors is encouraging (a leading Palestinian writer is surely a sign of progress.) After gathering views from the various elites, it’s important to listen and hear from people who aren’t opinion-makers. After all, isn’t that what blogging is at least partly about?