When journalists choose to be weak in the face of attacks on what they do, they encourage more attacks. The editor of the New York Times chooses a bended knee for his organization's non-response to Musk's provocations.
He embarrasses himself and his craft -- and leaves both weaker for the battles ahead.
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/nyt-editor-says-paper-wont-lead-the-boycott-of-twitter
BTW Kahn's response to the question is a deliberate non-sequitur. NO ONE is asking the Times to "lead a boycott" of Saudi-government-financed Twitter (even though that would be a great move).
We're simply asking the Times to stop pouring its work and money into a business run by someone who hates journalism and who promotes people who want to bring down democracy -- and finally recognize the danger of centralized control of speech.
I had a lot of hope that when Dean Baquet ended his tenure as the NY Times' top editor his replacement would recognize -- and respond appropriately -- to the accelerating threats to democracy and freedom of speech.
Sadly, his successor has doubled down on Baquet's ways. The Times' political coverage is nothing more than business as usual. Whether through incompetence or design, it gives comfort to extremists.
That is tragic, and disheartening.
@dangillmor This is the same paper that identified Hitler's antisemitism as a political trick, not something he'd actually follow through on.
You'd wish in 100 years they'd have learned their lesson, but if the editorial control has passed from one same-voiced soul to the next, it's about what we should expect.
