Gail Collins stepped down earlier this month as editor of the New York Times opinion pages. If you’re concerned about the lack of women in American political discourse, this seems like bad news: Women are losing their representative in what is, arguably, the most powerful post in opinion journalism. What’s more, Collins’ successor is the consummate male insider, current deputy editor Andrew Rosenthal, son of late Times executive editor A.M. Rosenthal. The generally sorry state of women in the realm of elite opining is evidenced by the fact that when Collins returns to her old columnist’s post after a six-month book leave, it will be the first time since her 2001 promotion that the nation’s pre-eminent op-ed page will have more than one regular female contributor.
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