That's an Economist thing. They feel that "what is written is more important than who writes it"[0].
[0]: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/09/ec...
[0]: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/09/ec...
It is The Economist. That's the whole point. There is a (good) reputation attached to it. If they fail to live up to their own standards, then that reputation will crumble and people will stop reading and quoting it. It's a brand.
We used to have brands for products, like RCA, Westinghouse, Philips, etc. But these have become just nametags that are bought and sold, and no longer mean much, or anything. But there are a few brands left that still mean something.