New York Times could cut public editor position
Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2007 at 4:10 PM
According to the New York Observer, The New York Times is considering the suppression of its public editor position by the end of May 2007. Can a recipient for potential controversy such as a major newspaper really rid itself of an ombudsman though?
Executive editor of the Times, Bill Keller, mentioned that features such as ‘Talk to the Newsroom’ gave more accessibility to the paper than through the public editor, thus reducing the need for an autonomous ombudsman.
Well, the trouble is that ‘Talk to the Newsroom’ is edited and controlled by Times’ editors. From then on, the bias is obvious, however much the editors try to be sincere and honest.
Furthermore, “the NYT can't afford to lose it's Public Editor; the office is meant to keep the NYT honest, a constant reminder of who it is supposed to be serving and to whom it is accountable,” wrote Rachel Sklar for the Huffington Post.
Arguably, the Times is one of the, if not the, most influential paper in the US, and the scoops it uncovers are of national relevance (NSA spying, SWIFT bank records). It does seem that the removal of the public editor position would dangerously jeopardize the last safety check against deliberate misinformation.
Source: Camera blog – Huffington Post
Well, the trouble is that ‘Talk to the Newsroom’ is edited and controlled by Times’ editors. From then on, the bias is obvious, however much the editors try to be sincere and honest.
Furthermore, “the NYT can't afford to lose it's Public Editor; the office is meant to keep the NYT honest, a constant reminder of who it is supposed to be serving and to whom it is accountable,” wrote Rachel Sklar for the Huffington Post.
Arguably, the Times is one of the, if not the, most influential paper in the US, and the scoops it uncovers are of national relevance (NSA spying, SWIFT bank records). It does seem that the removal of the public editor position would dangerously jeopardize the last safety check against deliberate misinformation.
Source: Camera blog – Huffington Post
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