My news/media appetite has been somewhat stunted over the last few years. While I throw jaded scorn at news-radio bite-sized highlights, they are not much less deep than the blog/web/online-newspaper news/opinion material that I do read. I guess news quickies are not beneath me, but what am I missing out by not reading major news magazines? It turns out that the news media is far from dead, and produces some real gems sometimes.

Here is one long essay at Vanity Fair about California’s state finances and an earlier one by the same author about that of Greece. Here is another long essay at the Washington Post about the newly permitted privilege of buying a handgun in D.C.. Here’s another another long essay at the New York Times, about the Air France 447 accident. Each is a deep, literate coverage of the topic, without gross political colours that permeate so much journalism today. Take some time, and enjoy what the “dinosaur” media can still produce.