This time around the mood is more morose. Perhaps it has to do with the fact they failed to stop him from regaining the White House. Maybe after so many busted narratives - Russian collusion, Nazi Fascism, death to democracy as we know it, et al. - they have run out of material. Or, most likely, it is dawning on them that these vacant narratives delivered in bulk and applied with the nuanced precision of a Caterpillar front-loader not only are unsuccessful but have driven off a large core of the intended audience.

These failed techniques are not only played out, but publishers are no longer tolerant just to let their staffers work untethered. From Jeff Bezos at WaPo to Mark Thompson at CNN and the publisher of the LA Times, the names above the mastheads are no longer tolerant of these tactics. Peter Baker and others are facing a harsh reality – they may have to actually work for a change.