The Weekly's peek inside The New York Times' endorsement process failed as compelling reality TV

Vulture

The Times' much-derided decision to endorse both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar in the Democratic primaries wasn't the big problem. It was how the special episode was formatted, says Kathryn VanArendonk. "Asking audiences to watch a TV show and wait for the result mimics a reality-show stunt, which in itself is obnoxious, but 'The Endorsement' also failed to provide the basic framework of a decision-based reality show," she says. "There were few guidelines about the process, and little about the episode was compelling. These were flaws in the endorsement episode in particular but are symptomatic of a problem that has undermined nearly all of The Weekly: What could be a revelatory show about reporting and editorial decisions at the most prominent newsroom in the country has instead been superficial and myopic."