Rick Berke’s resignation Sunday evening as executive editor of Politico may have caught some off guard. But at least one journalist there said it was clear that Berke never meshed at the Rosslyn, Va.-based outlet.
“This was no surprise to any of the editors or to anyone who knows how this place runs,” the journalist told TPM, disputing the characterization of Berke’s resignation as “abrupt.”
Berke joined Politico last year after serving at the New York Times since 1986 as a reporter, bureau chief and senior editor. He replaced Jim VandeHei, who had been promoted to president and CEO of Politico and and Capital New York only days prior.
When Berke left the Times, the paper’s former executive editor Jill Abramson hailed him as a “newsroom treasure in so many important roles here.”
In announcing the hire, John Harris, the editor-in-chief who co-founded Politico with VandeHei, described Berke as a great fit for the Washington-obsessed outlet.
“My own conversations with Rick made clear two things,” Harris wrote in a memo to staff. “One, as a political junkie, he is a deep admirer of the publication all of us have helped build. Two, what intrigued him most about the possibility of joining us was joining a growing operation that already has a great team.”
But that initial cohesion didn’t last. In memos sent to Politico staff on Sunday, Berke, VandeHei and Harris each alluded to strategic differences that led to the change at the top.
The journalist, who requested to speak to TPM anonymously, said those differences were clear early on.
“Jim and John needed someone who could provide vision for the newsroom, who could empower individual editors, who was innovative, creative, tough,” he said. “And it was clear from the beginning Rick was never going to be that guy. If you ask around here, any editor, anyone who’s involved in these conversations would tell you something similar.”
“I think the biggest thing was: he’s old school, we’re new school,” the journalist added.
When reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Berke declined to comment.
“I’m making a policy not to talk to anyone. I just don’t want to stir up anything,” he told TPM.
So much for the ‘no drama’ exit…meow!
‘He’s Old School, We’re New School’
Translation: He’s a journalist, we’re bloggers.
Politico and the word journalism should never, ever be used in the same sentence except prefaced by the word “not”.
It’s produced by hacks for hacks. It is for all the “serious people” within the Beltway who are never, ever right about anything. The only thing these stenographers and the corrupt politicians and lobbyists whom they serve are good at is making money for themselves and their criminal enterprise.
We, who frequent many of these progressive sites, are political junkies who yearn for cogent and insightful journalism. Sites such as Politico and the Sunday morning news shows care nothing about investigative, thoughtful reporting. All they care about is their social position in the Washington echo chamber and accumulating more wealth.
They have no moral compass or dedication to the truth. They are frauds, reinforcing each other’s sense of self-importance. This is why the news media is held in such contempt, today.
Yeah riiiight.
I thought everyone knew that Politico were the cool kids., and that cwazy editor guy they hired was such a dork to be around. Oh, and did you know, he was always last to get picked in dodgeball for the company team…'cause he’s just that bad at being “old school” too.
Neener, neener.
Apparently I do still have some cognitive functions left, I totally agree with your assessments of the media, journalism and especially Politico. I was beginning to think I was just a shrill voice into the vacuum of the universe.