I worked at the “Times” as an art director in the late 1970s--1981. I could see even then that they had tethered themselves, their editors and by extension their reporters, to the official line of spin spewed from the D.C. elite. It was an awakening to my naive young self. I soon left the corporation, returning to the Midwest to honest work for The Progressive magazine. I never looked back but with confidence in my decision.
Not only has the NYT not recovered but in a leaked memo to it's Middle Eastern reporters as cited by the Intercept (below), the Times issued "guidelines" that they use the word "Palestine" sparingly and to not use words such as "occupied territory," "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," "refugee camps," or "inflammatory words" like "slaughter" or "massacre" which convey emotions, but rather to focus on "precision." (like drones). And so on.... Disappearing the people of Gaza/Palestine just as Israel has done.
As a person raised in New York who once perhaps naively respected the Times of long ago, it is heartbreaking to witness above all the enormous loss, and attempts at erasure, of so many innocent Palestinian/Gazan lives, but also the loss and gradual disillusion, this Requiem, for the New York Times. In the mainstream U.S. media, the Left and the Right have merged. That loss must be so deeply felt by those of integrity, liked Chris, who worked for years and gave them so much.
The erosion of journalism is a Canadian issue as well. Interest groups are silencing the public and private voices that were a staple of reliable news. Some years ago my youngest encouraged and accompanied us to the post secondary institution that brought Chris Hedges to speak and speak he did. I purchased his latest work for her at the book signing after his talk. I playfully asked him if he needed a bodyguard...he smiled.
Thank you for your response Charlie. I'm sorry to hear about the erosion of Canadian journalism too, though I am no longer surprised. In researching the countries/oil coalitions that have systematically exploited, killed and devastated the lives and landscapes of so many people in the Middle Eastern and African countries - Yemen. Iraq, Sudan, etc. etc., for colonial profit and power, the Canadian govt. & Canadian oil conglomerates have been right in there with them (Arakis Energy, Talisman). Also I'm now aware that those in power in Canada have treated the Native American population much as we have treated ours. So, increasingly, like the U.S with the rise of the corporate state, they have much to hide. It is very sad, tragic and shortsighted. As with my youthful view of the NYT, I had great hopes for Canada back in the 60's and 70's when we all thought if worst came to worst, we could dream of fleeing to beautiful Canada. So many illusions shattered in these times! I'm speaking of what the Canadian government has gradually become, not of the beautiful Canadian people and land.
There's an irony about the U.S. and Canada having both once been the target of British/French Colonialism. The lesson being that it's one thing to throw off the mantle of Colonialism in one way or another (the U.S. by force, Canada "released" fairly recently), but it's a country's whole second birth and moral accomplishment to do the hard work of transforming the embedded Colonial consciousness, the Colonial privileges and arrogance subtly hammered into one's being over generations.
On the other hand, it makes me happy to hear about your lovely daughter bringing you to Chris Hedges talk - that gives me hope and in the next generation! They are seeing how high the stakes are. Like you, I've had the same thought at times wondering if he might need a bodyguard. Perhaps the good news around that is the growing number of good and courageous people publicly standing up and speaking truth to Power! There's safety in numbers.
The demise of the Times is symptomatic of the general corporatization of the World. The rise of Finance, with its utter greed & power driven sociopathic amorality, has infested every dream and ambition of humanity. No longer does a Boeing engineer work his way to the Board of Directors through is hands on knowledge of plane design and experience with the business itself. Now it’s anti-Labor subcontracting and cost cutting to squeeze more profits for stock buy backs. While Boeing planes are no longer trusted. This is a global phenomena requiring a full on international Labor and Progressive hard core push back, to regain integrity and democracy.
The main value of any MSM outlet is not as a source of news, information or even analysis. It is as a guide as to what a carefully curated slice of the PMC is expected to think on a series of issues and what issues they are supposed to think of as important and how important and what they are supposed to think about them. Anything not in that MSM feed can be safely ignored.
I worked at the “Times” as an art director in the late 1970s--1981. I could see even then that they had tethered themselves, their editors and by extension their reporters, to the official line of spin spewed from the D.C. elite. It was an awakening to my naive young self. I soon left the corporation, returning to the Midwest to honest work for The Progressive magazine. I never looked back but with confidence in my decision.
Not only has the NYT not recovered but in a leaked memo to it's Middle Eastern reporters as cited by the Intercept (below), the Times issued "guidelines" that they use the word "Palestine" sparingly and to not use words such as "occupied territory," "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," "refugee camps," or "inflammatory words" like "slaughter" or "massacre" which convey emotions, but rather to focus on "precision." (like drones). And so on.... Disappearing the people of Gaza/Palestine just as Israel has done.
As a person raised in New York who once perhaps naively respected the Times of long ago, it is heartbreaking to witness above all the enormous loss, and attempts at erasure, of so many innocent Palestinian/Gazan lives, but also the loss and gradual disillusion, this Requiem, for the New York Times. In the mainstream U.S. media, the Left and the Right have merged. That loss must be so deeply felt by those of integrity, liked Chris, who worked for years and gave them so much.
https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide-palestine-coverage/
The erosion of journalism is a Canadian issue as well. Interest groups are silencing the public and private voices that were a staple of reliable news. Some years ago my youngest encouraged and accompanied us to the post secondary institution that brought Chris Hedges to speak and speak he did. I purchased his latest work for her at the book signing after his talk. I playfully asked him if he needed a bodyguard...he smiled.
Thank you for your response Charlie. I'm sorry to hear about the erosion of Canadian journalism too, though I am no longer surprised. In researching the countries/oil coalitions that have systematically exploited, killed and devastated the lives and landscapes of so many people in the Middle Eastern and African countries - Yemen. Iraq, Sudan, etc. etc., for colonial profit and power, the Canadian govt. & Canadian oil conglomerates have been right in there with them (Arakis Energy, Talisman). Also I'm now aware that those in power in Canada have treated the Native American population much as we have treated ours. So, increasingly, like the U.S with the rise of the corporate state, they have much to hide. It is very sad, tragic and shortsighted. As with my youthful view of the NYT, I had great hopes for Canada back in the 60's and 70's when we all thought if worst came to worst, we could dream of fleeing to beautiful Canada. So many illusions shattered in these times! I'm speaking of what the Canadian government has gradually become, not of the beautiful Canadian people and land.
There's an irony about the U.S. and Canada having both once been the target of British/French Colonialism. The lesson being that it's one thing to throw off the mantle of Colonialism in one way or another (the U.S. by force, Canada "released" fairly recently), but it's a country's whole second birth and moral accomplishment to do the hard work of transforming the embedded Colonial consciousness, the Colonial privileges and arrogance subtly hammered into one's being over generations.
On the other hand, it makes me happy to hear about your lovely daughter bringing you to Chris Hedges talk - that gives me hope and in the next generation! They are seeing how high the stakes are. Like you, I've had the same thought at times wondering if he might need a bodyguard. Perhaps the good news around that is the growing number of good and courageous people publicly standing up and speaking truth to Power! There's safety in numbers.
The demise of the Times is symptomatic of the general corporatization of the World. The rise of Finance, with its utter greed & power driven sociopathic amorality, has infested every dream and ambition of humanity. No longer does a Boeing engineer work his way to the Board of Directors through is hands on knowledge of plane design and experience with the business itself. Now it’s anti-Labor subcontracting and cost cutting to squeeze more profits for stock buy backs. While Boeing planes are no longer trusted. This is a global phenomena requiring a full on international Labor and Progressive hard core push back, to regain integrity and democracy.
The main value of any MSM outlet is not as a source of news, information or even analysis. It is as a guide as to what a carefully curated slice of the PMC is expected to think on a series of issues and what issues they are supposed to think of as important and how important and what they are supposed to think about them. Anything not in that MSM feed can be safely ignored.
"Shine on you crazy diamond."
This is the rantings of a biased political chattering class member, and not a journalist that advocates newspapers simply report the news.
The population of people like this working at the NYT is why it is in the toilet.
Well, Chris, as bad as things always seem to be at least you get to go home to Eunice.