After 28 years, the elephant has been named

A few years ago I clicked on a news headline and found that it wasn’t an article, it was a live news blog. The top line informed me that the chancellor had delivered his budget, and they would have “instant reax soon.” Even the word ‘reactions’ was apparently too long for our culture of immediacy.

It occurred to me at that point that what I valued in a commentator was not an instant reaction, but a considered opinion. And that’s why I’m writing about the end of COP28 at the end of the week. ...