Journalism's Gold Standard Is Devalued (Buh-Bye, NY Slimes)

The Day ^ | June 7, 2003 | Jane Eisner

[Future Snake Eater]

Sorry, but the gloating will contine as normal, and there is nothing heartbreaking about it. Those idiots dug their own graves by not doing their jobs. Now they're just lying in them. I feel nothing but contempt for those posers. See where touchy-feely liberal crap gets you, NYT?

[niteowl77]

Now we wish for healing at the New York Times.

Feelings, nothing more than feelings...

[Loyal Buckeye]

In none of the articles have I read anything about complaints coming from other papers who subscribe to the NYT news service and reprint its articles. I would assume that senior mgmt. received a number of complaints about the large number of inaccurate stories. Nor have I seen articles speculating on whether the NYT will separate its editorial positions from its page 1 news stories.

[fightinJAG]

I saw at least three articles posted on FR from newspapers stating they would be very careful in using NYT and even Wash Post stuff because of their track record, basically, and use of unnamed sources, etc.

But you are correct that that aspect of the NYT situation is not being discussed by the media.

I would think that, as a business, the fact that outlying papers no longer want to use your stuff is even worse than the abstract idea that the public has lost trust in your work.

[frithguild]

It's heartbreaking because the Times is the gold standard in American journalism. New York Times has been obviously biased since the 1970's. This gives the gold standard a bad name.

[mewzilla]

Let's see how long the locals refuse to use it. My local rags are mostly wire service rips with some local fluff and ads. Bet it won't be long before profit outweighs principle. I mean the locals might actually have to find/hire someone to cover more news otherwise.

[fightinJAG]

It's amazing, isn't it. The NY Slimes was this monolith of journalistic power, supposedly. Then one day the people took the Jason Blair hammer and said, TEAR THIS WALL DOWN.

And it came tumbling down.

Buh-Bye. See you on the internet.

[Dont Mention the War]

I wish I knew a girl that could give a Lewinsky as good as the one Jane Eisner just gave to The New York Times.

By the way, Janie, you imbecile:

I knew journalism itself was making news when I picked up the latest issue of Time magazine and spotted a reference to the Internet site Romenesko in the back-page cartoon. Romenesko is a “daily fix” of media news and gossip, not a name I thought was part of the lexicon of anyone who wasn't a journalism junkie. But there it was, in a general magazine, without even an asterisk of explanation.

It isn't a name that's part of the lexicon of non-journalism junkies. The pompous asses at Time used it without explanation because they think everyone else is as obsessed with them as they are with themselves. Everyone at Time loads Romenesko first thing every morning, thus, in their minds, everyone everywhere loads Romenesko first thing every morning.

That's not "journalism itself making news," toots, that's a psychological disorder listed in the DSM-IV.

By the way, Dumbkopf: Raines's and Boyd's resignations were on the front page of almost every single newspaper in the country yesterday (yes, I went and checked). The reason "journalism itself was making news" was because you decided to make it news.

Either that or because you've completely lost your grip on the American public and were merely getting around to rehashing what the rest of the country had been discussing without you for a solid month. Either way, you look like useless trash.

[fightinJAG]

I read that the NY Post subscription and readership rate was growing in leaps and bounds. That works for me.

[Libloather]

Then came Thursday's resignations of editor Howell Raines and managing editor Gerald Boyd. Sorry, but gloating must take a short break.

How about a national day of mourning? (Sniff...)

[fightinJAG]

Jason = Jayson.

tsk tsk

[mewzilla]

Ah, but that's the NYP, bless them. Thanks goodness I can get that around here. But for local news we are totally screwed. I talked to someone over at one of our papers, which is a lot smaller than the NYP, and he basically told me that their readers were idiots (I kid you not) and that they didn't want hard news. Wouldn't read it, wouldn't buy it. That's their attitude. Our other local paper has other problems. It's even smaller and usually does the "if it bleeds, it leads" thing, too. So for local and state coverage with a local angle, we are so outta luck. I'm glad the NYP well. Just wish I could say the same on our local level here.

[Savage Beast]

"the Times is the gold standard in American journalism."

Maby so, Jane, but that's nothing to brag about. In fact, your statement speaks volumes...!

"I knew journalism itself was making news when I picked up the latest issue of Time magazine..."

Sorry you're heartbroken, Jane, but this came as a surprise only to those silly enough to waste time reading the likes of Time magazine and to compare the New York Times to Leopold Mozart (not that Leopold was anything to brag about).

[Savage Beast]

"Buh-Bye. See you on the internet."

LOL!

[Liz]

(Sniffle), Gosh, the Times tarnished? I'm all broken up about it (sob).

[Ronin]

...if we are arrogant, then we will lose the trust of the very people we are here to serve.

Serve?

It's been a long time since the NYT served as anything except a mutual-admiration club of socialist cant meisters.

Things started going to hell when they stopped calling themselves reporters and became "journalists". Reporters report. They see, record, report. They do not editorialize or spin to support an agenda.

These people still don't get it. People today are not intimidated or impressed with NYT anymore because their credability is shot. A newspaper without credability is a waste of trees.

[Grampa Dave]

The NY Slimes is the gold standard in journalism as Arthur Andersen was the gold standard in accounting.

[Gritty]

We could, through our words and pictures, help heal a community.

Now we wish for healing at the New York Times.

I find this (*sob*) very touching.

Now, if we could only pursuade them to print the truth!

[sweetliberty]