The NY Times is now basically a web site - only a print few copies are sold.
It does take a large staff to run a complex web site. They probably have a truly gigantic server farm - hundreds of web servers, hundreds of app servers, and a huge database. This does require people who know what they’re doing, lots of them.
In addition, the cyber security needs of the Times must be massive.
Think of the quantum of hackers and nation-states that would love to wipe out the Times.
Making sure Maureen Dowd’s login ID and password (prolly HaT3KZJ) are secure is the least of their concern.
“They probably have a truly gigantic server farm - hundreds of web servers, hundreds of app servers, and a huge database. This does require people who know what they’re doing, lots of them.”
unless this stuff is all hosted on amazon web services, in which case the necessary support staff is MASSIVELY reduced to mostly people who know how to support the application software, and it wouldn’t surprise me that MOST of the application software is either off the shelf, freeware like apache, and/or integrated newspaper suites largely supported by employees of the company that produced the suites ...