": . . .and for a quote from a news story which is no longer available online 

That one I won't contest  the blog article consists almost entirely of the news story and there are no visitors comments.
 
Of course, both are experts writing about a field in which they are experts. 
 
They may be experts in science,  but they are not particular experts about Yecke  many others know as much as or more than they do about Yecke.
 
And while Myer's is a widely read op-ed columnist 
 
For the umpteenth time,  dunghill,  Myers is not a widely read op-ed columnist  he is just a BVD-clad blogger.    And even if he were a widely read op-ed columnist,   his blog would have to be under ""direct editorial control"" of a media company to be eligible to be a Wikipedia source.  
 
we are using Pharyngula as a source for what Myers said and we are using Austringer as a source for what Elsberry said 
 
And if you do that,  you are making an exception to the Wikipedia rules and the same exception must be made for my blog.    
 
just as you could use a Krugman op-ed as a source for what Krugman said without bothering to figure out whether the NYTimes op-ed piece adequately fact-checks its op-ed columnists 
 
Newspapers take responsibility for the accuracy of the reporting of their journalists.    A journalist can be fired or suffer damage to a career because of false reporting.   
 
   
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