To tell you the truth, the recent allegations of political bias against the New York Times are troubling to me, and no one
Last week, former New York Times opinion section editor Bari Weiss shared a story from when he worked for one of the world's most famous newspapers. On her podcast, "Honestly with Barry Weiss," Weiss spoke to Republican Senator Tim Scott about the circumstances surrounding a 2020 op-ed he wrote about police reform that The Times refused to publish.
26} "There was some discussion about the piece and whether or not to do it," Weiss recalled. "And one colleague, an older colleague, said to a younger colleague who was pushing this article, 'Do you think Republicans really care about minority rights?'"At the time, Senator Scott, one of only three black senators in office, said, "Wow."
Weiss continued, "And the younger colleagues said, 'I think Tim Scott cares about minority rights.' And there's something pretty shocking about it. An older colleague said, 'Let's check with Senator Schumer.'"
If true, what Weiss claims is indeed concerning. That's what you should do. The New York Times has been accused of wanting to check with then-Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer before publishing articles written by political opponents. According to Weiss, junior editors "refuse" to follow the instructions of senior editors, indicating that ethical tensions can arise over such practices.
The New York Times denied's claims to the New York Post, claiming: But his Nate Hochman original report in the National Review affirms Weiss' account and disputes the Times' denials.
National Review obtaineda series of messages from a second source. Considering minority rights, he instructed his staff to send Scott's editorials to Schumer's office, but junior editors apparently did not.
The National Review report claimed Weiss was telling the truth, but did not clarify why the Times' senior editor wanted to discuss Scott's essay with political rivals. There may or may not be malicious reasons involved. Presumably, the suggestion to "check" with Schumer was part of the paper fact-checking process, not asking for permission. But the Times doesn't say so, so the question remains open for now. Many people assume the worst because of widespread concerns about political bias affecting mainstream media companies. The Times in particular has been thoroughly criticized for having an agenda that goes beyond simply reporting the news.
In 2020, Senator Scott's essay was That same year, the Times ran another Republican Senator, Tom Cotton. The publication of Cotton's article resulted in the resignation of James Bennett, editor of the editorial page of thepaper. In 2021, journalist Ashley Lindsberg's book, "The Gray Lady Winked," chronicled a series of news stories that the Times had been doing wrong for decades. Lindsberg accused The Times of fabricating a false narrative that served the paper's political interests.
Her letter of resignation, which Weiss submitted to The Times in July 2020 also explains why she felt the need to leave her position. At times, she mentions her organization's prejudices.
Senator Scott has indicated that he believes the story is evidence not only of prejudice against him as a Republican, but also of prejudice against him as a black conservative. After her interview on the podcast with Weiss went live, Senator Scottsaid on her social media: They said they didn't do it...but we have the receipt.
The stake in the allegations against The New York Times is not a partisan issue. Anyone in politics should know that democracy benefits from reliable news media. We need to find out exactly what happened and why it happened. Few things discredit media coverage more than credible accusations of unresolved bias.
National Post
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