Our Collective Voice: Journalistic Integrity, or the unfortunate lack thereof
I have been a lifetime daily reader of, and a subscriber to, the Times since adulthood, and I am soon turning 45 years old. For years, I enjoyed the Times' distinct coverage of world and national news, the arts, sports, and culture in general. However, in recent years, the Blair and Miller scandals, highly questionable Iraq reporting, and other troubling signs left me defending my choice of newspaper to many people who were quick to point out these as signs of the paper's journalistic decline and lack of direction. I was willing to do all that, but now I am at a crossroads, and I am perilously close to canceling my subscription. The reporting of the Duke lacrosse case by that sub par hack, the biased headline hunter Duff Wilson, has reached new lows not even conceivable for the Times only a few short years ago. The troubling reports coming out of the Nifong trial over Mr. Wilson's selective memory, his absurd continued defense of Nifong long after all his other defenders had run out of town, and his near-manic desire to hang the now-exonerated defendants out to dry are disheartening at the least, and grossly unethical at best. I cannot sit idly by without letting you know that this kind of grandstanding and self-important behavior has no place at a venerable institution like the Times. To continue to employ Wilson in the face of all of the facts that have come to light over his reporting of this case will only serve to further denigrate the reputation and integrity of the Times. What a shame that I and your loyal readers have to see the level of reporting lowered to Rupert Murdoch-like levels.
Andrew Rosenberg
New York, NY
10 comments:
The Duffer is not the only one on the NYT rag that should be fired. Selena was appalling - justice of the guys.
its DUD not duff...same for the group of 88 duds
THANK you, Mr. Rosenberg. WHY OH WHY do they still let Duff Wilson peddle fiction and non-research based digressions when the entire country knows these three students were persecuted and completely innocent of the very serious charges leveled against them? Where does this animus come from and why does the Times allow it to pass as "reporting?" Where is the truth in the Duff Wilson ink?
Thanks Mr. Rosenberg. I sent a letter similar to yours to the Public Editor a few days ago. But, I don't expect it to do any good.
David
Carolyn says:
Something tells me Pinch Sulzburger will not be 'listening' to Rosenberg's statement.
No, Sulzburger will not be listening to Rosenberg's statement. The Times still thinks the World Trade Center is hidden by a Clingon cloaking device or if the building is really gone it was the work of the CIA. They never told the whole truth about Blair. They cannot tell the truth about Duke. It as if all of the writers at the newspaper were taught by the Duke Group88. They have such a difficult time coming to grips with reality. Oh, I'll just sign this missive with an X as the unknown and unknowable is all these folks know. Duh, X
The NYT coverage of the Duke lacrosse scandal/debacle is really a reflection of their inability to rationalize in print what is going on in the world. The paper just cannot come to grips with reality, and it is becoming more and more apparent to its readers. They no laonger stand for anything themselves, so how can they discuss the problems and difficulties of others.
Well, Murdoch and FOX and the Post are still the place of car chases, Greta Von " attractive missing white women", Anna Nicole Smith, the insufferably stupid Sean Hannity....
But they all got the Lacrosse case right. Megan Kendall/Kelly, O'Reilly, Hume, even stupid Sean...Even Greta Von Missing White Gals..The Post writers called it a crock from the earliest days.
While the NY Times failed in that and in numerous other major matters where the Times obviously seeks to fit the news and opinion into "The Official Sulzberger Metanarrative" of always virtuous minorities, terrorists whose civil liberties are threatened, white privilege, and lady executives denied Augusta clubhouse membership.
It seems the Times lives now on past reputation, past glory days and now seeks to alienate it's old core business and upscale Jewish traditionalist subscribers (constant anti-business, anti-Israel hectoring) in favor of the "progressives" in Manhattan and outwards.
If not for Duke, I'm sure Rosenberg might have written his letter when he reached the end of his tolerance with the newspaper he grew up reading and was a regular part of his life.
Duff Wilson is the tip of the iceberg when looking at the problems that are plaguing the NYT. Rosenberg should have reached those crossroads long before the Times started reporting on the Nifong Scandal Case.
Rosenberg needs to have a heart to heart conversation with himself and figure out what he thinks he's getting in return for his subscription price if he continues to pay it.
If he can justify it in terms of value received, then he should continue. Everyone has a right to piss away his own money. As they say, there's no accounting for taste.
If it weren't for the cultural (arts, music, movies) and local news and decent non-tabloid style sports pages, and Wednesday's great food section, believe me I would, though my wife might kill me.
Rosenberg
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