Links within the Text Widget sidebar

Hi All,

I am trying to use the Text Widget in my sidebar to display a little text with an integrated link. What I wrote in the widget is as follows:

check out what The Economist has to say about <a>the disposable academic</a>

I assumed that would correctly link to https://www.economist.com/node/17723223 , however instead it links to: https://www.example.com/”http:/www.economist.com/node/17723223″ and of course thus doesn’t work, I am new to this and I figure I am just missing some minor detail…

Thank you so much for your help,

JJ