Paul Krugman on Leaving NYT, America's Economy, and Trump

"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

This week Noah Smith and economist Paul Krugman hopped on a call to discuss Paul's departure from the New York Times, the benefits of independent writing, U.S. manufacturing and industrial policy, geopolitics, Trump 2.0, and the impact of public opinion on economic and political discourse. This conversation first aired in Noah's substack Noahpinion, so be sure to subscribe if you aren't already.

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Highlights from the Episode: (for more head to https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/paul-krugman-and-noah-smith-have)

• Discussed the transitioning from traditional media (NYT, Bloomberg) to Substack for greater editorial freedom and authentic voice, noting that traditional outlets still maintain an "establishment" mindset.
• On Substack, Krugman settlies on 1100 words per post and Noah aims for 2000-2500 words.
• Public perception of the economy often shifts dramatically based on political affiliation rather than actual economic conditions.
• How the Ukraine war has highlighted the importance of manufacturing capability for national security.
• Current Political Climate: Greater concern about current political risks compared to previous eras like the Reagan administration.
• Explored how national security concerns are reshaping trade policy thinking.

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LINKS:

Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/

https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/paul-krugman-and-noah-smith-have