commentariat

[Barnhart]

Dear Bruce,

Yup! I think it's new.  It's scheduled for Barnhart Dictionary Companion
(Vol. 12.1, due in the Fall).  E.Q. (i.e. earliest quote found) is 1993.
Quotes included (for now) are from Time, The Village Voice, and Newsday.
It reminds me of punditocracy (DC 11.1).  It may be modeled on
mullahtariat (DC Vol. 2.3: 1981).  I've not seen other words on -tariat.

Regards,
David K. Barnhart
Barnhart at highlands.com