If there's one shared belief among Times people, it's that they produce a quality product, the high end of the market. That's what makes Jonathan Weisman's specialty — "Democrats say this, Republicans say that, from there you're on your own" — signficant to me. Is that a quality product? High end? - ThreadSky

jayrosen.bsky.social • 54 days ago

If there's one shared belief among Times people, it's that they produce a quality product, the high end of the market. That's what makes Jonathan Weisman's specialty — "Democrats say this, Republicans say that, from there you're on your own" — signficant to me. Is that a quality product? High end?

Reposted from Paul Krugman

Democrats say this, Republicans say that. But don't readers deserve to hear some facts? paulkrugman.substack.com/p/bothsidesi...

Comments

catherine292862.bsky.social•53 days ago

Exactly! Maybe they do say this and that, but what is the truth! I can tell you what everyone says, but journalists need to do the work and find the truth and report it. Journalism is dead. No degrees needed if work to tell what the magazines, newspapers or TV stations want them to say.

teamquimby.bsky.social•54 days ago

The times believed its own branding. It’s like “the problem with Barbra Streisand is she thinks she’s Barbara fucking Streisand”

elainealimonti.bsky.social•54 days ago

Nope. It’s either a fearful product, afraid to articulate differences, or a know-nothing product that sees or comprehends no differences.

cityatlas.bsky.social•54 days ago

I read NYT online for specific articles, and try to avoid random encounters. But at store I caught the corner of today's front page, "How Trump flipped the script on Jan. 6," & it made me ponder other ways to use the framing, like:
"Your neighbor drove over your kid & then they flipped the script!"

jayrosen.bsky.social•53 days ago

That was a strong article tracing the onset of the big lie about the 2020 election. For the most part it did not mince words. Not saying it had no problems, but there was almost no bothsides-ing.

cityatlas.bsky.social•53 days ago

Credit where credit due. It's also possible that the problem is biggest in headline writing (leading to @nytpitchbot.bsky.social , etc.)

jayrosen.bsky.social•53 days ago

There's no question that something happens to the stories during the headline step and that the results frequently favor bothsides-ism. Some kind of reflex is involved, and it is not entirely clear to me.

There's also no question that bad headlines too often obscure good journalism.

ecowen.bsky.social•54 days ago

Corporate media, collectively, surrendered their legitimacy when they bowed to corporate pressure On how they'd cover climate change. Many of our problems today stem from both-siding the science regarding an existential threat to society, giving opinion the same weight as fact.

hornik10.bsky.social•54 days ago

No, it’s a cop out. Get rid of that, plus stop characterizing every issue as Republican v Democrat even when 70-80% of Americans favor one side, halt endless over-coverage of the horse race and sausage making with no explanation of the actual legislation or it’s possible impact. Inform!

ernestscott.bsky.social•53 days ago

It's raining. It's sunny. Please look out the window and tell us who is right. That should be the job of a reporter. Explain the facts. Teach me something I did not know. Any news organization that cannot tell its reader who is right on the facts is in no way producing a quality high end product.

pieinthe.bsky.social•54 days ago

All the stenography that’s fit to print.

maryklida.bsky.social•54 days ago

some things can't be both sides like rape or insurrection

cynlawless.bsky.social•54 days ago

reminds of Peter Baker telling us how Americans think, feel - high end propaganda

sarcasmodemiami.bsky.social•54 days ago

The best lawyers hand you the cases so you can decide what you want to argue in court for yourself.

wades.bsky.social•54 days ago

It's not even journalism, really, when one side is transparently lying or talking ignorant bullshit

"They're lying and/or talking ignorant bullshit!" is literally the important story there

When you ignore that to repeat the lies and bullshit, you're just a lying bullshitter yourself

paula72.bsky.social•54 days ago

No it is not

norbizness.bsky.social•54 days ago

Thanks to her training at a Masonic orphans' school, my late grandmother used to take shorthand at over 100 words per minute, surely she could have been a press star today.

imdumfounded.bsky.social•54 days ago

The NYT's is no longer readable. That's a damn shame and, sadly, America will pay the price.

arthurdeodat.bsky.social•54 days ago

*has already begun to pay the price

imdumfounded.bsky.social•54 days ago

True. My bad.

gingerlucas.bsky.social•54 days ago

they still believe it even though its been unreadable since about 2020?

danlb.bsky.social•54 days ago

Good point. Of what value are journalists who simply summarize each side’s talking points? (And merely opining on the effectiveness of those talking points may have value to politicians but not to voters .)

gloriafeldt.bsky.social•53 days ago

Ooh Krugman is untethered!

altiam.bsky.social•53 days ago

Insightful point! Balance often sparks deeper insights.

colummccaffery.bsky.social•53 days ago

This is a very old problem. Let's be clear, anyone who elevates truth above impartiality parts company with journalism.

paul-lukasiak.bsky.social•54 days ago

I think that Krugman misses the point -- Weisman's piece was not about the actual impact of economic policies of each party on the working class --- rather it was how those policies wound up being perceived.

IOW, it doesn't matter what caused post-covid inflation, what matters is Biden was blamed.

lalenjames.bsky.social•54 days ago

Unrelated, but the denial and coping mechanisms in the comments section for this article on the dangers of alcohol was fascinating to me. NY Times readers love lecturing and scolding others for their vices — so long as it's not their own vice.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/health/alcohol-surgeon-general-warning.html

lalenjames.bsky.social•54 days ago

Actually maybe it is related in the sense that it's a NY Times reporter trying to convey the current scientific understanding, and readers responding that they want to be coddled and not bothered with it 🤔 It's maybe a good sign the reporter did it anyway.

dougom.bsky.social•53 days ago

Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

samlecure.bsky.social•54 days ago

It’s not.

jaytingle.bsky.social•54 days ago

It stinks.

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