Isn’t a “New York Times Ethicist” an oxymoron?
It's like the NY Times version of an oncologist. If the NY Times' ethicist finds any symptoms of ethics he removes those ethics surgically and recommends either radiation or toxic chemicals to make sure they don't grow back. Or else he gives you the bad news that your ethics have grown too much and you'll have to be put down like a rabid dog before they spread throughout the "news" room.