Margaret, thank you for pointing out the numerical difference between too few "bad Trump" headlines and the avalanche of "aging Biden" headlines in the *New York Times* after the debate. And you're so right about how Trump messed himself up by giving media outlets a news peg for Project 2025 (thank god).
Margaret, thank you for pointing out the numerical difference between too few "bad Trump" headlines and the avalanche of "aging Biden" headlines in the *New York Times* after the debate. And you're so right about how Trump messed himself up by giving media outlets a news peg for Project 2025 (thank god).
In that post, I cite one of your columns a decade ago at the *Times* when you were Public Editor: "The Conflict and the Coverage," which took on criticism of the NYT's coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from both sides. I recall being blown away by it at the time, and I still am. I can only look at the NYT's current coverage of the same topic and shake my head (and weep). Headlines really do matter these days, no matter what Joe Kahn says.
In terms of my own thoughts about the election, I think Biden needs to step aside — I've thought this for months, but I'm basically only talking about it in semi-private forums like this one. The repetitive frenzy in social media or public columns does not help make change. Thanks for the serious analysis of media you're doing here.
Margaret, thank you for pointing out the numerical difference between too few "bad Trump" headlines and the avalanche of "aging Biden" headlines in the *New York Times* after the debate. And you're so right about how Trump messed himself up by giving media outlets a news peg for Project 2025 (thank god).
In my most recent stack post, I took on the recent interview with NYT executive editor Joe Kahn in the *New Yorker* and why old newsroom (macho) values are not going to get readers to trust reporters these days: https://marthanichols.substack.com/p/is-objectivity-in-the-news-a-fiction
In that post, I cite one of your columns a decade ago at the *Times* when you were Public Editor: "The Conflict and the Coverage," which took on criticism of the NYT's coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from both sides. I recall being blown away by it at the time, and I still am. I can only look at the NYT's current coverage of the same topic and shake my head (and weep). Headlines really do matter these days, no matter what Joe Kahn says.
In terms of my own thoughts about the election, I think Biden needs to step aside — I've thought this for months, but I'm basically only talking about it in semi-private forums like this one. The repetitive frenzy in social media or public columns does not help make change. Thanks for the serious analysis of media you're doing here.
Points all taken, Martha. Thank you.