The other day I got call from someone at who said he was a producer at National Public Radio. He said they were planning a new project about, oh, you know, the future of democracy or something like that. They were starting it the following Monday, with a really top collection of writers and thinkers, and they were wondering if I was available on Tuesday. So I appreciate this award, because it makes me feel like a Monday kind of guy.
I’ve got to thank Nick especially. All my adult life, whenever I’ve had to make an important decision, important to me at least, I consulted Nick, and occasionally I’ve even taken his advice. He’s had to share that role more recently with my wife Patty. But he’s given me some good advice about that as well.
I’ve got to thank Jacob Weisberg, who swears he didn’t do any politicking to get me this, but I don’t believe him. So thank you.
I have been gone from Slate for seven or eight years now, so I can be completely objective about it, and frankly, I am insulted by how good it is.
Now, when Jake told me about this award, he was needlessly defensive. I said, “Jacob, relax. Sure, I’ve written a few pieces expressing some skepticism about awards and prizes, but that was prizes to other people. This one seems very different.”
And it’s very cool to get this award in the year that online journalism is finally recognized asfully equal to that other kind in the eyes of our trade association, ASME. We’ve been given our own collection of awards-- congratulations to all the winners-- and our own luncheon.Somebody has already referred to the delicious food. I know that ASME has struggled for years over what to do about the Internet, and the rules have changed every year.But now we are basically…well, I think the Supreme Court said it best in Plessy v. Ferguson: separate but equal.
The last time I was up in front of this group was 27 years ago, when we won General Excellence for Harper’s. I was fired the next day.And as the chairman of the board was escorting me to the guillotine, he said, “Didn’t I hear you won some sort of prize?” So, today, just to be on the safe side, I’ve got my current employer, David Bradley, here.
In fact, this iss really like drowning. My whole life is flashing before my eyes. I’m really grateful to old friends and colleagues who’ve turned up. And especially to the people I’ve worked for over the years. Charlie Peters is here, and he’s very hard to pry out of his house. Marty Peretz of The New Republic; Don Graham, who saved me from the burning flames of the Los Angeles Times. I’m told Si Newhouse is here, from my five minutes as editor of The New Yorker. I don’t know where Pat Buchanan is.
In this industry, we’re all still searching for the right “revenue model.” The model that’s worked for me, sort of unfortunately, is, some wealthy person who would rather subsidize journalism than race horses.And thank goodness for them. but I still think that the best security for any publication is to be self supporting or profitable. I’ve only experienced that pleasure rarely over the course of the years, but I hear it’s really nice.
So thank you very much.
Nicholas Lemann introduces Michael Kinsley
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Michael Kinsley tribute video
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Michael Kinsley accepts award
