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The most troubling part of NYT editor Dean Baquet’s speech to his newsroom was his admission: “our readers...cheer us when we take on Donald Trump.” He added that Trump voters don’t read the Times.
He claims that the Times will be “independent.” Good luck with that. It’s financially impossible for a newspaper that knows what its readers want for that paper to be independent. If they don’t serve their customers, they’ll lose them.
As former NYT editor Jill Abramson pointed out, on-line readership of the Times surged after Trump was elected. Financially, this saved the paper which was in deep economic decline. Subscribers saw in the NYT hope for resistance.
I read papers to learn what happened. That’s why the headline “Trump Urges Unity vs. Racism” was fine. It’s what Trump said. The Times could have put an “analysis” under it providing context. But instead, they retreated from accurate journalism in the face of a readership revolt.
Sadly, the paper I have subscribed to for 40 years is not as independent as its editor admirably claims. Baquet acknowledged who does and does not read his paper. When a paper’s readership is that tilted, its stories won’t be far behind.
