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I used to be a fan of The Economist but after a while I figured out that it’s better at sounding smart than being smart. If they ever write about a field you kn

I used to be a fan of The Economist but after a while I figured out that it’s better at sounding smart than being smart. If they ever write about a field you know we’ll you’ll see what I mean.

qnleigh 4y ago
Maybe it depends on your field a bit. I'm in physics, and a few of their articles on particle physics and quantum computing have really impressed. They hit all of the main points and caveats that almost all other news sources usually miss.
- nohaydeprobleme 4y ago
  The depth of the reporting also depends on the article. For a particular example, I thought The Economist's article on GPT-3 published in June 2022—before ChatGPT would later be released in November—was particularly good, as the article soberly discussed at length the strengths and weaknesses of large language models, without overhyping the technology (paywall): https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2022/06/11/huge-foundation-models-are-turbo-charging-ai-progress https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2022/06/11/hu... However, it's also fair to note that many articles in their weekly issue—often at 600-800 words—just don't have the space to go in-depth enough into an issue, in contrast to a feature in The New Yorker or another long-form magazine like Foreign Affairs. I've found The Economist to be a useful publication to hear about interesting problems I might otherwise have never heard of, and to read a fact-checked concise overview of a particular topic, before looking for a more in-depth source if there is a motivation to read further into the topic.
PaulHoule 4y ago
I feel that way about Bloomberg Businessweek. There was a time when I was doing a lot of business development work and it seemed I had some insider insight into some story in in every issue. That is, I had been in on a sales call with the people at some company they profiled, or knew some competitors in stealth mode or somebody had told me and my partner more than they should have about what was talked about in some article.
bell-cot 4y ago
Yes. Though it might be better to say that they are very consistent with their writing style, snobbish attitude, and ideology. Vs. hit-and-miss at times with good, accurate reporting.

I used to be a fan of The Economist but after a while I figured out that it’s better at sounding smart than being smart. If they ever write about a field you know we’ll you’ll see what I mean.

qnleigh 4y ago

Maybe it depends on your field a bit. I'm in physics, and a few of their articles on particle physics and quantum computing have really impressed. They hit all of the main points and caveats that almost all other news sources usually miss.

nohaydeprobleme 4y ago
The depth of the reporting also depends on the article. For a particular example, I thought The Economist's article on GPT-3 published in June 2022—before ChatGPT would later be released in November—was particularly good, as the article soberly discussed at length the strengths and weaknesses of large language models, without overhyping the technology (paywall): https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2022/06/11/huge-foundation-models-are-turbo-charging-ai-progress https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2022/06/11/hu... However, it's also fair to note that many articles in their weekly issue—often at 600-800 words—just don't have the space to go in-depth enough into an issue, in contrast to a feature in The New Yorker or another long-form magazine like Foreign Affairs. I've found The Economist to be a useful publication to hear about interesting problems I might otherwise have never heard of, and to read a fact-checked concise overview of a particular topic, before looking for a more in-depth source if there is a motivation to read further into the topic.

PaulHoule 4y ago

I feel that way about Bloomberg Businessweek. There was a time when I was doing a lot of business development work and it seemed I had some insider insight into some story in in every issue. That is, I had been in on a sales call with the people at some company they profiled, or knew some competitors in stealth mode or somebody had told me and my partner more than they should have about what was talked about in some article.

bell-cot 4y ago

Yes. Though it might be better to say that they are very consistent with their writing style, snobbish attitude, and ideology. Vs. hit-and-miss at times with good, accurate reporting.