Thursday, July 16, 2020
PMT: What's going on at the NY Times Editorial Page?
I've always been a fan of the New York Times editorial page. I've even gotten to place two pieces there-- here and here. But lately things have gotten a little... weird.
First, they ran a pretty dumb op-ed by Tom Cotton, titled Send in the Troops, which advocated sending in the military to counter protests and riots in response to the killing of George Floyd. Cotton is not only my least favorite Senator, but one of the worst politicians I have come across-- he blatantly follows the Trump playbook in stoking fear and division, and he consistently advocates for making criminal law even more punitive. He's a wealthy guy with two degrees from Harvard who often rails against the "elites." Crazy.
Did I agree with Cotton when I read his piece? No, I never do. But I often read things by people I don't agree with. Often I learn something. That wasn't true of the Cotton piece-- it was just opinion and bluster. But it does represent a point of view that a significant number of people have, including some veterans like Cotton, and I didn't think much of it.
Others did, though.
Apparently, there was an uproar among the staff at the Times that led to the resignation of the Op-Ed editor, James Bennet. Then, this week, columnist Bari Weiss resigned, issuing a scathing letter that complained of bullying on Slack and Twitter. Weiss was a conservative, who had been brought in just three years ago.
I suspect the paper will survive just fine. I do hope that they will continue to seek balance on their pages, something they have achieved pretty well in recent years. That doesn't mean they have an obligation to publish voices of hatred on either side, or pieces that just aren't very good. But that still leaves a lot of room.
And maybe it is time to send them something again.
Comments:
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Thank you for this thoughtful and helpful statement, Mark. I think I mostly agree with you (but I will await your confirmation after I restate what I view as our perceived common ground):
=I too suspect the NYT is going to remain commercially successful and continue to employ the best reporters in the world. Surely, they will continue to provide the most comprehensive news coverage on the planet in a way that is increasingly distinct from the ever shrinking world of journalism as we knew it growing up in Walter Cronkite's America. I expect the NYT will remain the ultimate job (capstone) for most great journalists.
=I too hope the NYT will continue to seek balance in their worldview (although I cannot say that seems the likely trajectory at this particular moment).
=The Times has no obligation to publish anything (for good reasons or bad).
=And I look forward to your next piece in the Times or Trib or Minneapolis Star Tribune.
No real disagreements here but I might add for context:
+Tom Cotton is an interesting fellow. He doesn't seem dumb to me (but then I am no Ivy Leaguer). I can certainly see where you and Tom Cotton have a number of disagreements. As for him being a wealthy guy and an elite, his bio states his dad was a state bureaucrat and his mom was a public educator (middle school principal) and he grew up in Dardanelle, AR. He claims to have gotten through school with the assistance of student loans. His two degrees from Harvard (one of which being a law degree) and his election to the United States Senate certainly mark him as elite in what we have generally considered a meritorious way--but I am not sure that was the sentiment a reasonable person might have inferred from your characterization.
+You mentioned indirectly that Cotton was a veteran. Again, if his bio can be believed (and by that I mean Wikipedia with the assumption that his staff maintains the account), he volunteered for service in Iraq as an infantryman, served as an officer in the 101st airborne, received commendations for bravery including the Bronze Star, and received an honorable discharge in May 2013. Seemingly an honorable record. Seemingly an honorable fellow.
+And at some point I would love to read your point-by-point take down of the Cotton piece in question. As you know, not everyone agrees that the piece was completely lacking in substance and value.
+My understanding is that Bari Weiss served the NYT as a columnist and also EDITOR.
+Also, I am not sure your description of her as a "conservative" quite suffices. I believe she self identifies as a centrist. Also, perhaps worth stating, just to note that we live in a complex world in which so many of the old dividing lines have dissolved, Bari is a Trump-skeptical, pro-Israel American Jew and recently went public with her same-sex relationship.
+ And perhaps "bullying" does not quite convey the extent of the internal attacks directed at her in recent days. Her complaint seem to downplay the vehemence with which her colleagues have gone after her personally and in every way possible short of physical violence.
In closing, thank you again for bringing this important cultural moment to our attention. I hope we can agree that the NYT is a great American institution. I wish them continued success--and I believe the example they set in facilitating civil and open discussion in American politics is of great value. The Gray Lady should take that responsibility very seriously.
=I too suspect the NYT is going to remain commercially successful and continue to employ the best reporters in the world. Surely, they will continue to provide the most comprehensive news coverage on the planet in a way that is increasingly distinct from the ever shrinking world of journalism as we knew it growing up in Walter Cronkite's America. I expect the NYT will remain the ultimate job (capstone) for most great journalists.
=I too hope the NYT will continue to seek balance in their worldview (although I cannot say that seems the likely trajectory at this particular moment).
=The Times has no obligation to publish anything (for good reasons or bad).
=And I look forward to your next piece in the Times or Trib or Minneapolis Star Tribune.
No real disagreements here but I might add for context:
+Tom Cotton is an interesting fellow. He doesn't seem dumb to me (but then I am no Ivy Leaguer). I can certainly see where you and Tom Cotton have a number of disagreements. As for him being a wealthy guy and an elite, his bio states his dad was a state bureaucrat and his mom was a public educator (middle school principal) and he grew up in Dardanelle, AR. He claims to have gotten through school with the assistance of student loans. His two degrees from Harvard (one of which being a law degree) and his election to the United States Senate certainly mark him as elite in what we have generally considered a meritorious way--but I am not sure that was the sentiment a reasonable person might have inferred from your characterization.
+You mentioned indirectly that Cotton was a veteran. Again, if his bio can be believed (and by that I mean Wikipedia with the assumption that his staff maintains the account), he volunteered for service in Iraq as an infantryman, served as an officer in the 101st airborne, received commendations for bravery including the Bronze Star, and received an honorable discharge in May 2013. Seemingly an honorable record. Seemingly an honorable fellow.
+And at some point I would love to read your point-by-point take down of the Cotton piece in question. As you know, not everyone agrees that the piece was completely lacking in substance and value.
+My understanding is that Bari Weiss served the NYT as a columnist and also EDITOR.
+Also, I am not sure your description of her as a "conservative" quite suffices. I believe she self identifies as a centrist. Also, perhaps worth stating, just to note that we live in a complex world in which so many of the old dividing lines have dissolved, Bari is a Trump-skeptical, pro-Israel American Jew and recently went public with her same-sex relationship.
+ And perhaps "bullying" does not quite convey the extent of the internal attacks directed at her in recent days. Her complaint seem to downplay the vehemence with which her colleagues have gone after her personally and in every way possible short of physical violence.
In closing, thank you again for bringing this important cultural moment to our attention. I hope we can agree that the NYT is a great American institution. I wish them continued success--and I believe the example they set in facilitating civil and open discussion in American politics is of great value. The Gray Lady should take that responsibility very seriously.
My take is that I am glad we have this point of agreement, a common concern. A paper is a living thing, and precious.
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