What the New York Times Deserves (A ToThePoint™ Memo)

Newsmax ^ | Saturday, May 24, 2003 | Jack Wheeler

[Nachum]

It should be payback time for the New York Times' inflicting its deceitful liberal pretentiousness upon America. Here's a suggestion for a conservative law firm such as the Landmark Legal Foundation or the Washington Legal Foundation:

With one or more disgruntled subscribers, initiate a class-action suit against the New York Times for willful negligence regarding Jayson Blair’s journalistic inventions. Blair wrote at least 60 such stories.

There is abundant evidence that Blair’s editors were negligent in detecting or acting upon his fraudulent behavior. The suit should therefore demand that a pro-rated refund be paid to all New York Times subscribers for the 60 issues containing Blair’s fabrications.

The paid circulation of the New York Times is about 1.2 million subscribers. The average cost per issue is 50 cents. Refunding $30 per subscriber for the fraudulent and willfully negligent 60 issues would thus total $36 million.

The suit should also demand a quite reasonable treble punitive damages. That would make an additional $108 million. Thus the suit would be for a total of $144 million to be refunded and paid to New York Times subscribers.

Naturally, Jayson Blair should be a party to the suit and be required to personally pay part of the money owed: an amount equivalent to any and all monies he earns from cashing in on his fraud (such as book deals).

Once the suit is launched, everyone should then pray that the New York Times refuses to settle. Contesting the suit would then give the plaintiff discovery rights. Gaining discovery means the New York Times must turn over to the plaintiff’s lawyers any and all documents and correspondence pertaining to Jayson Blair.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Howell Raines’ e-mails regarding Jayson Blair?

Discovery would expose the entire Raines-Blair can of worms. It would be the tipping point required for Raines to be fired. Then Chairman Arthur Sulzberger might be persuaded to choose an intellectually honest journalist as editor of the New York Times, instead of a left-wing propagandist.

The opportunity has arrived for the New York Times – and Howell Raines – to get what they deserve. Let's hope a top-notch conservative legal firm seizes it.

Jack Wheeler is Editor of ToThePoint™, an online geopolitical intelligence service at www.tothepointnews.com.

[martin_fierro]

Das Pingenheimer

[rdb3]

With one or more disgruntled subscribers, initiate a class-action suit against the New York Times for willful negligence regarding Jayson Blair’s journalistic inventions. Blair wrote at least 60 such stories.

Class-action? I agree. Now what are you waiting on? Let's go.

Doing bad things to bad people...

[Liz]

Nice scenario. Ideology aside, why not enlist the ACLU? They're always crowing
about their concern for our constitutional and civil rights, especially the First Amendment.

Besides which, there are several ways one could get ahold of Times' internal documents.

And should Jayson be convcted on any number of counts (he broke quite a few laws)
he would be prevented from profiting from book deals, etc, by Son of Sam laws.

[martin_fierro]

Here's a suggestion for a conservative law firm such as the Landmark Legal Foundation or the Washington Legal Foundation:

What?? No Larry Klayman/Judicial Watch? <|:)~

(snicker)

[Liz]

Judicial Watch? P-u-l-e-e-z-z-e. When did they ever win one? (groan)

[Blue Screen of Death]

Better yet, get the advertisers to go after the NYT. The taint of distrust of the paper itself extends to the people who advertise it in. If I paid for an advertisent and the truthfulness of my ad came to be questioned because no one trusted the basic paper, I should get my money back.

[Cicero]

Actually there are some occasions when a big, fat lawsuit by a high octane trial lawyer is a pleasure to watch. This would clearly be one of them.

[MaryFromMichigan]

BTTT
Interesting idea........

[Tribune7]

There is abundant evidence that Blair’s editors were negligent in detecting or acting upon his fraudulent behavior. The suit should therefore demand that a pro-rated refund be paid to all New York Times subscribers for the 60 issues containing Blair’s fabrications.

I like it. But I think it's only appropriate to add pain and suffering and other punitive damages. I mean the Times has always supported these things concerning corporate irresponsibility.

[demkicker]

GREAT IDEA! Surely there are some FReepers who will volunteer to sue.

[ladyinred]

The refunding of the subscribers money is a great idea. The class action law suit, well, don't we have enough of these? The refunds would teach the Times something, hopefully, as it would be a great deal of their bottom line.

[Timesink]

This sounds loopy to me. It's not illegal for a newspaper to lie except in very specific cases (libel, etc). The only contract between a newspaper and its reader is "you give us a dollar (or whatever) and we give you a paper."

[Timesink]

Schadenfreude

This is the New York Times Schadenfreude Ping List. Freepmail me to be added or dropped.

[mrustow]

Good idea, especially the call to sue Blair. But if the writer thinks that Raines is the problem, he has little understanding of how the Times works. It's Sulzberger, stupid!

For the most thorough article yet on Jayson Blair, see:

The Jayson Blair Case: At the New York Times, the Spin Cycle Never Ends

[GOPJ]

Yeah, the liberals love class action stuff. Let's see if they love it when it's done to them not by them... Go for it.

[jagrmeister]

A terrific idea- it's a no lose proposition: at very worst, we get access to the internal dialogue at the New York Times and discern how they manipulate the news to forward the liberal agenda. The Media has far too much power- I don't care how many times I need to say it.

[Vigilanteman]

Methinks you are legally correct, but the NYT ha always pushed beyond the law when it applies to corporations who actually produce something useful for society. The biggest problem would be finding Freepers who actually subscribe to this fishwrap. The advertiser lawsuit holds more promise.

[Bullish]

Liberals are never held to account for anything, only conservatives get their feet held to the fire.