NYT's Abramson rebuts Brisbane charge

Politico ^ | 8/25/2012 | DYLAN BYERS

[Beave Meister]

The executive editor of the New York Times is disputing an accusation of liberal bias made by her very own public editor, Arthur Brisbane.

In his final column for the Times, Brisbane wrote that his fellow staffers "share a kind of political and cultural progressivism" that "virtually bleeds through the fabric of The Times." Brisbane even argued that Times reporters covered some liberal causes, like gay marriage and the Occupy movement, "more like causes than news subjects."

But Times executive editor Jill Abramson says she disagrees with Brisbane's "sweeping conclusions."

"In our newsroom we are always conscious that the way we view an issue in New York is not necessarily the way it is viewed in the rest of the country or world. I disagree with Mr. Brisbane's sweeping conclusions," Abramson told POLITICO Saturday night.

"I agree with another past public editor, Dan Okrent, and my predecessor as executive editor, Bill Keller, that in covering some social and cultural issues, the Times sometimes reflects its urban and cosmopolitan base," she continued. "But I also often quote, including in talks with Mr. Brisbane, another executive editor, Abe Rosenthal, who wanted to be remembered for keeping 'the paper straight.' That's essential."

Brisbane declined to comment on the column, his last as he concludes a two-year tenure as the paper's in-house critic. "I would rather let the column speak for itself," he told POLITICO.

[Beave Meister]

She refutes her own editor who came clean (as if nobody else knew). She treats her subscribers as if they're infants and don't know...the big secret.

[vbmoneyspender]

But I also often quote, including in talks with Mr. Brisbane, another executive editor, Abe Rosenthal, who wanted to be remembered for keeping 'the paper straight.' That's essential."

I don't think Abe Rosenthal was talking about what Jill Abramson thinks he was talking about.

[aposiopetic]

I suppose many of them behave like infants and choose not to know.

[Bernard Marx]

Jill Abramson’s middle names are “Liberal Bias.” She’s right out of Code Pink and so are the rest of the Times’s Flying Monkeys.

[SECURE AMERICA]

But Times executive editor Jill Abramson says she disagrees with Brisbane’s “sweeping conclusions

Unfortunately the general public does not disagree with the knowledge that your media like most is “progressive” read LIBERAL......

[oldbrowser]

that in covering some social and cultural issues, the Times sometimes reflects its urban and cosmopolitan base,"

These people cling to their belief that they are the essence of sophistication despite all evidence to the contrary.