Subscribe to Breaking NewsThe New York Times Is A Bit Tone Deaf
The folk who run the op/ed section of the New York Times need a primer in the art of public relations. Two presumptive nominees for the White House, questions and debates on how to manage a war. One nominee, Barack Obama, gets his piece on what to do with Iraq published. John McCain, who has foreign policy chops that Obama lacks, is told his submission on the same topic does not meet the standards of the the Old Gray Lady.
Yes it’s true the newspaper asked Senator McCain for a rewrite and even offered suggestions to add some punch to what the Arizona senator first sent in. Sure the op/ed editor makes clear he wants to have McCain published, but we are talking about a guy who is running to be leader of the free world not a nameless hack who is looking for a clip that will make him a household name (”Mr Withers? Your table is ready sir.”). By not publishing McCain’s essay, the New York Times simply played into the assumption the media is doing all it can to get the junior senator from Illinois elected. A much cleaner response would have been publication based on a couple of changes. By doing that, the New York Times would have saved itself from the bias memo being peddled by Republicans.
You need to update your picture file, The New York Times moved to 620 Eighth Av earlier this year.
Hear hear! Priya Lynn! How come no American ever challenges such obvious BS? Please, for the sake of your own country, start being a little bit more critical of yourselves. Stop believing all of the propaganda. If Bush is the leader of the free world, then I don’t want to be “free” (whatever that term means, since it loses all relevance when associated with Bush and Cheney)…
James Withers said ” we are talking about a guy who is running to be leader of the free world”. No we’re not. No U.S. leader has ever been nor ever will be a leader of the free world. The free world has its own leaders and in no sense does any U.S. president tell us what to do. Get over yourself, you are no where near as important as you like to think. Its BS like yours that makes the U.S. despised throughout the free world.
David,
Thanks for that link. 365Blog is the new name for visiblevote08. Visiblevote keeps its eye on the overall political scene.
Sincerely,
James
J.R. Labbe, writer for the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, has a great piece in today’s paper on the NY Times decision. Personally, I usually find her ideas frighteningly to the right, but his one is on target –
http://www.star-telegram.com/212/story/776633.html
That said, unless there is some GLBT perspective to this story that I missed, I think you’ve wasted valuable time and space on a new item that belongs on a different website.
Giosue,
Mr. Smithers?
That’s funny. I’ve been a called many a thing in my life, but a tool for the right? You have me confused with someone else.
Sincerely,
James
The NYTimes has every right to impose editorial standards on *anything* printed in the NYTimes. Personally, I would have let it run, warts and all, and let people make up their own minds. But I’m not the editorial page editor of the NYTimes.
I pity those who don’t want “hard” news in these pages. When the midnight knock on the door comes (and it *will* if the fascist takeover of America succeeds), neither your portfolios nor your connections will save you. Be informed. “Work, pray, and give,” as the Prayer Book says, for pro-gay candidates. And *vote* as if your life depends on it. It probably does.
Raymond Clark
San Diego CA USA
Re: Scott said. He’s absolutely right. Way to go to be a tool for the right, Mr. Smithers, I mean Withers.
His article was rejected because it was poorly written and nothing but a barrage of attacks on the senator from Illinois with no real substance, nor, from what I understand, did it conform to NYT house style. Mr. Withers, are we now to disregard standards so that people don’t start to think that we’re playing favorites? Come on, I thought that ended in High School.
You should be ashamed, Mr. Withers.