As many of you have noticed, TPM Reader DK has been guest blogging on weekends here at TPM recently. I’m happy to say that this anonymous individual seems to have developed quite a following. But some readers, I think understandably, have asked, who is he or she? And why does this person’s identity have to kept a secret?
Donna Karan? Don King?
Since transparency and truth in advertising are a lot of what good blogging is about, we’ve even had a few people say I shouldn’t have an anonymous blogger guest host here at TPM.
Let me try to address this.
And let me start by telling you a bit about who DK isn’t. DK is not someone in politics. Not someone who works for the government. And not someone who works in the media. A lot of the concern with someone who’s anonymous, I think, is that their identity would show some unrevealed agenda in their writing. The truth behind DK’s anonymity is a bit more mundane. DK is a lawyer at a law firm in the midwest. And, simply stated, DK’s professional position as a firm lawyer isn’t compatible with their free and frank exposition of views and analysis of the issues of the day here at TPM.
DK has been a regular reader of TPM for a long time. And I got to know DK as one of the many amateur (in the best sense of the word) researcher/tipsters who help me put TPM together by finding articles I should be looking at, searching the net for more information about the stories of the day, etc.
I understand the concerns about anonymity. And I respect them. All things being equal, I’d prefer DK write under his/her own name. But I understand their need to remain anonymous, at least for now. And I think, on balance, the voice and point of view DK brings to our virtual pages outweighs the downside of anonymity.
