The email came the day I wrote a post called "Another rant about the Globe and Mail's coverage of economics."
It was an offer "that I hope you can't refuse" – to participate in the Globe and Mail's new feature Economy Lab.
Another day I might have said no, but I could hardly rant about the Globe and Mail's coverage, and then turn down an opportunity to try to improve it.
Stephen Gordon is also participating, and the inaugural post is by WCI regular Kevin Milligan, on hikes to Employment Insurance premiums. (Professor Milligan, only one unanswered question: how do you do so much, so well?)
Since we each contribute just one Economy Lab column every two weeks, we will still have time to keep posting here.
And here's the question: which will have more influence, our WCI posts, or the Globe and Mail columns?
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative 
It should be interesting. I’ve often been critical of the Globe’s economics coverage, so – as you pointed out – it’s hard to refuse a chance to improve on it. OTOH, we’re only going to see our stuff once every two weeks or so, and I’m not at my best if I have to write to a word count.
I’m a bit concerned about just how many will actually read the articles. Right now, it takes four (count ’em) mouse clicks to get from the main Globe site to Kevin’s excellent EI piece.
I always find it is more effective to write to the columnist directly, or the editor of the section the article appears in (in this case the ROB). Or write a letter to the editor/ask for equal opportunity in an op-ed. You’d be surprised how responsive they can be.
hmmm. posted same day. 🙂
Congratulations, that is great news.
Is this going to appear in the paper edition, or just online?
Pretty sure it’s just online. We’ve been told that links are okay, which wouldn’t be the case for the print version.
Better written articles will eventually migrate to the op-ed page once a track record is established. My prediction. You have to start somewhere.
Just visiting – yes, you were prescient.
Stephen–yes it is a lot of clicks, but let’s recall:
a) They are still working on the website overhaul.
b) The overhaul is affecting all parts of the paper/website, so I’m sure every subsection editor is pleading for their new feature to be front and centre.
I think that if the posts there are good, they will attract attention. And if they attract attention, the Globe will want to make sure it is easy to find.
Thanks to all for the kind comments posted here. I’ll see you over at the Globe, fortnightly.
BTW, check out the comment over there by Mr. Rumble. I have read it 3 times and have absolutely no clue what he is trying to say–comical.
I can’t figure out why the Globe and Mail doesn’t have a regular economics op-ed page like the National Post does. Even though I don’t agree with everything in the Post, it reads like it takes economics seriously, while the Globe just feels like it’s the paper of centrist Bay Street financier types.
Congratulations! I think you can make a difference. I just write occasionally for the local Guelph paper. They give me a slot less than once a month. But I am surprised at how many people I run into who at least notice it. Whether or not I change anybody’s mind about anything is, of course, another question.
But it can’t hurt to have people like you with sensible things to say having a greater voice. There’s just so much rubbish out there!
Progress! I can now get to Kevin’s article in 3 clicks!
R is a computer language.
csv, file format. basically Rumble is asking for data.
No idea about the dragon though.
Hi edeast. Yup, I could figure out the pieces. It was putting these pieces together that was the problem.
It is a puzzle because it is so close to making sense; It’s on another plane. Could read that he is concerned for the article’s posterity, with broken links, and an R tutorial; Or sarcasm, or… political? unwilling to use your paper in an online flame war until he has data.
My first contribution is now live: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/the-economists/the-value-of-working-for-free/article1737065/
“Which will have more influence, our WCI posts, or the Globe and Mail columns?”
With a column only every two weeks, the WCI posts will have more influence. You might get more readership on the Globe stuff, but the policymakers and newsmakers will keep up with the blog, which posts far more frequently.
David, there’s about 12 contributors in total, so each one of us does it once every two weeks, but there is a new post every day.
I’m not at my best if I have to write to a word count.
If it’s web-only, why does (maximum) word count matter, as long as they pay a flat amount (or cap the payment per word)?
Congratulations!
Another challenge would be to get the Globe’s editors to send their journalists on some courses to learn basic econ literacy. You may find yourselves explaining matters patiently in Economy Lab while so-called factual reporting in the rest of the paper is larded with the most elementary economic fallacies. (It must be said that the New York Times does better than most on this front.)