Comments on: BREAKING NEWS: The Times is a powerless entity!

By: Owlspotting » Blog Archive » Reader to Journalists: Apologies not accepted

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 14:14:00 +0000

[...] The cynic in me was fully awake this week after I heard the New York Times magazine editor pretend that the newspaper has the influence of a pizza restaurant coupon (or even less) when it comes to presidential candidates. I got extra ammo today while reading the Washington Post coverage of the Wen Ho Lee settlement. Lee was the Alamo nuclear scientist that allegedly passed nuclear secrets on to the Chinese. After being cleared of all but one charge (59 total), he sued media organizations to get the names of government officials who leaked his name. [...]

By: Romerican

Romerican — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 20:53:59 +0000

Clinton? News? Everyone?

Heh… I must be Romanian!

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:20:55 +0000

They totally create news. The Clinton article proves it. Everyone and their brother was talking about that story last night while they discussed Hillary’s bid for the Senate.

By: Raluca

Raluca — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 13:38:19 +0000

Off topic: La multi ani!!!

By: Romerican

Romerican — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:49:36 +0000

I didn’t mean to imply they had no influence. I think you’re right that they can get the snowballs started, for sure.

At least, they don’t put Britney on the front page. (Yet.)

By: Cristian

Cristian — Wed, 31 May 2006 21:39:54 +0000

Romerican, the Times still has enough influence not to take this stupefied approach. I’m not saying that a Times endorsement makes you a viable candidate–but it still signals to other media (and the other categories you mentioned) that this is a candidate to take seriously. And all the worthless horse-race coverage snowballs from there.

I just wished they owned up to this potential and not pretended that the Times doesn’t help create names and news.

By: Romerican

Romerican — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:48:03 +0000

(BTW, the math-class flowers bit was priceless!)

By: Romerican

Romerican — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:47:25 +0000

Here’s my two cents. NYT is influential with academics, journalists, and some (but not all) politicians.

I think whatever influence the NYT had with regular folk way back in the golden years has been slowly ebbing away. Most people don’t read it. Some intuitively distrust it (as alluded to by Marzy).

New York Times endorsed Kerry in 2004.
New York Times endorsed Gore in 2000.

If ever there were some close elections to make or break…