Why Can't the Washington Post Learn to Think?

The economics behind why the New York Times is smarter than the Washington Post.

One difference between the New York Times and the Washington Post is that the NYT employs smarter reporters and editors. Consider this article on a new British social science study in today’s WP:

Which accents face the worst stereotypes? A U.K. study has some surprises.

British accents can vary hugely — and face positive or negative stereotypes. …

The peer-reviewed study, published in Frontiers of Communication on Friday, found that regional accents — that is, accents other than RP [Received Pronunciation] — were perceived as more likely to be working-class and associated with criminal behavior. The Liverpool accent was the one most associated with criminal behavior, followed by the cockney accent of East London (previously associated with the likes of David and Victoria Beckham) and the accents of Bradford and Newcastle (the latter made famous by Geordie Shore [a Jersey Shore-like TV show).

Those with the RP accent, meanwhile, were typically perceived as having the highest status and being the least likely to commit crimes — with the exception of sexual assault, where they were rated among the most likely to commit the offense.

Guys with Hugh Grant’s Old Boy accent are probably also more likely to be caught in insider trading and other financial scandals.

But here are some terms not mentioned anywhere in the Post’s write-up of new research on accent prejudices in the UK:

And here’s the paywall. The rest of my post is 625 words.