[patriciaruth]

The Times sets the news agenda that everyone else follows,"

In other words, it's a liberal crib sheet. You don't have to work or think to be a reporter or editor on another newspaper, you just have to copy the Times.

[duckworth]

I used to be a reporter at a Western Pennsylvania daily newspaper. The editorial page editor would sit at his desk twiddling his thumbs until the New York Times came in. He'd just about jump over his desk to get to it. I'm not kidding. So I wondered what all the hullabaloo was about and tried to open myself up to it. Even as a pup I thought its reputation was unwarranted. It sounded like some boring pompous guy at a party that you couldn't stand listening to. And I was shocked that it does not have a comics section. Really.