Avoiding the Partisan Trap—Even at The Washington Post | Megan McArdle

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In a media landscape almost entirely fragmented across partisan lines, I am drawn to a writer not easily categorized. Megan McArdle, columnist at The Washington Post, calls it like she sees it. Her independence has led to a loyal fan base—and a comments section filled with backlash. This week on Conversations, I sat down with Megan to have a conversation about why her column, which often calls out errors on the left, agitates those commenters.

Megan and I talked about some of her more uncommon opinions, including that the U.S. healthcare system is not uniquely bad. Megan thinks our anger at insurance companies and Big Pharma is misplaced, and that the real root of dysfunction is the fragmentation of the healthcare system, not profit margins. We also discuss the potential effects of AI on education and journalism. While she acknowledges the disruptions that are taking place—she thinks journalism can still thrive in an AI-driven world. As she says, “What is one thing ChatGPT can’t do? It cannot get a congressional staffer drunk and get it to tell them things about the tax bill.”