Politicos Mathias Dopfner, and Sam Knight Reports from Qatar
b'The staff writer Sam Knight was in Qatar recently, reporting on the World Cup, where, despite years of controversy, a familiar rhythm of upsets, triumphs, and defeats has taken hold. But he finds that the geographical shift toward an Arab nation may benefit the sport. Plus, David Remnick talks with Mathias D\\xf6pfner, the C.E.O. of the German news publisher Axel Springer, which acquired Politico for a billion dollars last year. D\\xf6pfner relishes taking provocative stances, but has been a vocal critic of media outlets that he says are increasingly catering to partisan audiences. \\u201cI think it is not about objectivity or neutrality,\\u201d he notes. \\u201cIt is about plurality.\\u201d Politico, D\\xf6pfner says, is taking \\u201ca kind of contrarian bet: if everybody polarizes, the few who do differently may have the better future.\\u201d'