Harper’s boss challenges NY Times hotshot Ben Smith to reportage battle

Our favorite media feud has reared its nerdy head — this time with the publisher of Harper’s challenging hotshot New York Times media reporter and former BuzzFeed boss Ben Smith to a no-holds-barred reportage battle.

Smith recently published a largely complementary article about Harper’s, calling it “America’s most interesting magazine.” But he also said it is “media’s oddest workplace,” noting that Harper’s honcho John “Rick” MacArthur brought staff back into the newsroom in August after his personal doctor told him they hadn’t seen a case of COVID-19 “in three months.”