(NY TIMES) RAINES' PARTY LINE

New York Daily News ^ | 12/05/02 | JAY NORDLINGER

[kattracks]

December 5, 2002 -- IF you've been reading The New York Times, you know all about the controversy surrounding the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia (home of the Masters). A women's group wants Augusta to start admitting female members (they have none, though plenty of women play there); Augusta, um . . . doesn't want to. Doesn't want to be bullied, that is.

[Bonaparte]

"It makes it hard for us to have credibility on other issues."

I can't remember when the NYT had any credibility or whether it ever did. They still haven't owned up to all the lies they and Walter Durranty cranked out about the Soviet Union.

[Clinton Is Scum]

Free Republic has a similar policy with regard to "disapproved" sites like VDare and American patrol. Of course, both the New York Times and Free Republic have the right to censor as they see fit (they are private organizations). I just wish both would be more welcoming of free debate.

[kattracks]

I don't see the similarity. Free Republic doesn't invite the authors from the sites you mentioned to contribute, and then censor their contributions.

There's plenty of free debate on FR, just not (never) enough to satisfy some people.

[goldstategop]

Of course if they were invited I am confident truth and reason would prevail over erroneous and misinformed views. Such is the contribution of robust and open debate in a free society.

[Cincinatus]

But a lot of us think the Times ought to be bigger than that.

I don't. They are every bit as small (and small-minded) as this ludicrous episode would indicate.

The Times is slowly destroying what's left of its credibility. I encourage them in this effort. If they were drowning, I would throw them an anvil.

[OBone]

The club is private. It can do what it wants. If women were allowed to join, they too would have to be rich in order to afford the fees and membership dues. So who would it heip if the membership was opened up? Rich women. Big todo about nothing.

[fporretto]

Well, once Media World gave its approval to that Frankensteinian creation we call "advocacy journalism," this sort of development was inevitable.

The great loss is, of course, the loss of objective news reporting, that the reader can believe accurately depicts the events it relates. Without that, all opinion is worthless. How can an honest man form opinions if he doesn't have reliable access to the facts of what he's opining about?

Of course, that doesn't slow dishonest men one little bit. But the remainder of this rant is unnecessary for FReepers.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[JimVT]

Johnnie Cochran's crusade to link NFL draft picks to the obedience of teams in hiring by race

What? They're gonna hire more white guys with college degrees?