There's a reason outlets like The New York Times are called lapdog media. Behind the scenes, the Gray Lady's obedience to top Democrats is even worse than critics realize, as former Times editor Bari Weiss exposed since she left.
In her resignation letter, she explained: "Op-eds that would have easily been published just two years ago would now get an editor or a writer in serious trouble, if not fired. If a piece is perceived as likely to inspire backlash internally or on social media, the editor or writer avoids pitching it. If she feels strongly enough to suggest it, she is quickly steered to safer ground. And if, every now and then, she succeeds in getting a piece published that does not explicitly promote progressive causes, it happens only after every line is carefully massaged, negotiated and caveated."
This week, she shared an egregious example of how this played out in the newsroom.
During an interview with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) on her podcast, Honestly with Bari Weiss, the journalist recalled the battle that took place at The Times over one of the Republican's op-eds and how a "more senior colleague" wanted to run it by Sen. Chuck Schumer first.
“Well, here’s what happened. I was at the New York Times and you or your staff sent in an op-ed about the bill and why it fell apart,” Weiss recalled. “And this is the part I’m not sure if you know. There was a discussion about the piece and whether or not we should run it. And one colleague, a more senior colleague said to a more junior colleague who was pushing for the piece, ‘Do you think the Republicans really care about minority rights?'”
“Wow,” Scott said.
“And the more junior colleagues said, ‘I think Tim Scott cares about minority rights.’ And then, and here’s the pretty shocking part. The more senior colleague said, ‘Let’s check with Senator Schumer before we run it,'” Weiss added.
She detailed how the younger colleague refused to reach out to Schumer over ethics concerns.
“Are you surprised to hear that? Or does that story feel kind of representative of the way the media has treated you and maybe some of your colleagues?” Weiss asked.
“I am disappointed to hear that. I am not surprised to hear that. You have to remember that The Washington Post fact checked my life, Scott replied.
“I can’t tell you how disrespectful and dishonoring that entire process was — went on for three or four months as they went through records to find out whether or not my grandfather actually dropped out of the school in the third grade, their records suggested he dropped out in the fourth grade, but still didn’t learn to read,” he recalled. “They wanted to know if I had somehow hidden my silver spoon and just was using a plastic spoon instead.”
“And the more they dug, the more they realized that there was no evidence that disproved the fact that I am, who I say I am and that I experienced what I said I’ve experienced,” he added.
“So there is something in national media that wants to frame any conservatives, particularly Black conservatives as being disingenuous or insincere or a tool for the conservatives. When in fact the Black community is consistently as conservative as any community,” he concluded. (Mediaite)
While it should be shocking that a senior editor at The Times would want to have a top Democrat sign off on an op-ed, sadly, it seems par for the course these days.
