Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BWdem4life

(1,697 posts)
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 06:20 PM Apr 25

Lie of the century by NYT chief WH correspondent

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/04/25/new-york-times-biden-white-house-00154219

The Times’ chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, whose stories about Biden’s age have regularly strummed a particularly sensitive nerve, told me that the administration’s frustrations over his and his colleagues’ coverage wasn’t all that unique. “Every White House I’ve covered complains about our coverage. It comes with the territory,” he said. “But because of Trump, there’s this new assumption that the New York Times and other media are supposed to put their thumb on the scale and take sides and we don’t do that.”


1. The paper legitimized Hunter Biden allegations that never showed a scintilla of evidence, pushed by Fox "News" and Trump supporters. Why? In what way was this fit for the NYT to print?

2. Publisher A.G. Sulzberger essentially claims that until he gets a sit-down interview with Biden, Biden is presumed to be unfit to be president due to nothing other than his age. This is reflected in their coverage.

3. The paper treats Trump with kid gloves to the extent that there's a widely followed account called "NYT Pitchbot" devoted to their soft coverage of Trump and their negative coverage of Biden.


But oh no, the Times isn't putting their thumb on the scale... and for the pettiest of reasons to boot. The Times doesn't care about America's future, that much is clear.
40 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Lie of the century by NYT chief WH correspondent (Original Post) BWdem4life Apr 25 OP
That rag of fascist apologist paper should die. onecaliberal Apr 25 #1
The NYT is the Pravda of the American oligarchy dalton99a Apr 25 #7
Not good enough for fish wrap or bird cage. Cha Apr 25 #10
I have more respect for the Wall Street Journal dalton99a Apr 25 #12
Agreed Ishoutandscream2 Apr 26 #38
But her emails. betsuni Apr 25 #2
And clouds and shadows... Hermit-The-Prog Apr 25 #18
They're not putting their thumbs on the scale--- lastlib Apr 25 #3
No Democrat should spend a dime on a newspaper that routinely produces fake news against Democrats and glorifies fascism dalton99a Apr 25 #4
"produces fake news" brooklynite Apr 25 #9
Evidence from where? No specific newspaper was mentioned by the poster. littlemissmartypants Apr 25 #19
Where do you want me to start? NanaCat Apr 25 #24
Vince Foster's suicide. OMGWTF Apr 25 #27
This one where Reporter wrote totally false articles IbogaProject Apr 26 #40
Fuck your "scale" metaphor. Try just telling the truth. enki23 Apr 25 #5
Peter Baker... 2naSalit Apr 25 #6
Yup. Every time I see that jerk on the tube... thenelm1 Apr 25 #32
Love the irony... brooklynite Apr 25 #8
No, I used Politico to reproduce a quote from Peter Baker. nt BWdem4life Apr 25 #13
And I post articles from Politico reporting on news frequently. You know what the general reaction is in these parts. brooklynite Apr 25 #29
NYT chief WH Propagandist. Cha Apr 25 #11
And that is exactly why DENVERPOPS Apr 25 #14
So, they SHOULD put their thumbs on the scale? maxsolomon Apr 25 #15
They should take their thumbs off the scale Bev54 Apr 25 #20
So, what Peter Baker said? maxsolomon Apr 25 #22
Peter Baker is disingenuous, he is one of the NYtimes reporters that has disparaged Biden Bev54 Apr 25 #33
I thought the "Lie of the Century" was that Saddam had WMD JoseBalow Apr 25 #16
It keeps changing. The century's not very old, after all. malthaussen Apr 26 #39
Baker is a hack's hack malaise Apr 25 #17
Anyone that still has a subscription...do you question why? PortTack Apr 25 #21
Why I still have a subscription? maxsolomon Apr 25 #23
Answer: no. brooklynite Apr 25 #31
Let's not forget they NYTimes breaking the Whitewater story by falling for every... JHB Apr 25 #25
Let's not forget the NYTimes breaking the Trump tax returns stories.... brooklynite Apr 25 #30
We don't. But what part of that was exaggerated and misleading? JHB Apr 26 #34
I expect he actually believes that. soldierant Apr 25 #26
Has anyone seen evidence of claim #2? ramen Apr 25 #28
Mouse Boy says what? Wild blueberry Apr 26 #35
The "journalistic middle" is complicit. hay rick Apr 26 #36
Not much different than the National Inquirer Blue Owl Apr 26 #37

dalton99a

(81,590 posts)
12. I have more respect for the Wall Street Journal
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 06:53 PM
Apr 25

The Wall Street Journal puts its bullshit and propaganda in the editorial section

The New York Times puts its bullshit and propaganda on the front page as NEWS



lastlib

(23,288 posts)
3. They're not putting their thumbs on the scale---
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 06:26 PM
Apr 25

they're putting their whole damn fist! And calling it fucking news!

dalton99a

(81,590 posts)
4. No Democrat should spend a dime on a newspaper that routinely produces fake news against Democrats and glorifies fascism
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 06:30 PM
Apr 25

littlemissmartypants

(22,808 posts)
19. Evidence from where? No specific newspaper was mentioned by the poster.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 07:37 PM
Apr 25

It appears to be a general hypothetical statement.

NanaCat

(1,251 posts)
24. Where do you want me to start?
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:11 PM
Apr 25

Whitewater

Troopergate

Filegate

Travelgate

Al Gore 'inventing the internet'

Iraq having WMDs

Swift Boat lies

Benghazi

Hillary's emails

Clinton Cash

And not to mention ignoring the many crimes TSF carried out right under their very noses but that they somehow couldn'tever see. Repeatedly.

Maybe you don't know what credible evidence looks like, but the rest of us do.

IbogaProject

(2,841 posts)
40. This one where Reporter wrote totally false articles
Fri Apr 26, 2024, 05:47 PM
Apr 26

They have a history of occasionally producing skewed reports. A simple one was the false claim that LSD broke chromosomes, their cited the opposite and the retraction was stuck deep on a quiet day. It still gets cited even though it's false.

Here is a selected list.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_New_York_Times_controversies

Here is the guy who basically wrote fiction.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayson_Blair#:~:text=Jayson%20Thomas%20Blair%20(born%20March,and%20plagiarism%20in%20his%20stories.&text=Columbia%2C%20Maryland%2C%20U.S.

2naSalit

(86,794 posts)
6. Peter Baker...
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 06:39 PM
Apr 25

Lost all credibility with me a couple years ago. I don't think much of Susan Glasser either.

thenelm1

(854 posts)
32. Yup. Every time I see that jerk on the tube...
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:19 PM
Apr 25

I immediately change the channel. Completely worthless.

brooklynite

(94,737 posts)
29. And I post articles from Politico reporting on news frequently. You know what the general reaction is in these parts.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:13 PM
Apr 25

DENVERPOPS

(8,845 posts)
14. And that is exactly why
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 07:04 PM
Apr 25

everyone I know has cancelled their on line subscription to the NYT this past month............

maxsolomon

(33,400 posts)
15. So, they SHOULD put their thumbs on the scale?
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 07:08 PM
Apr 25

Or they're putting their thumbs on the scale already, but for Trump?

#3: NYT Pitchbot account isn't exclusively a reaction to their Trump coverage - which is consistently negative and not "kid glove". It's a parody of how they "play it down the middle".

But don't let that stand in the way of today's 10th DU OP rant about the NYT.

maxsolomon

(33,400 posts)
22. So, what Peter Baker said?
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:07 PM
Apr 25

I just did a search on the NYT for "Biden Age". Most articles that come up are Op-Eds, from French, Bruni, Blow, and guest columnists. Only French's was negative and that's little surprise.

All news reporting is clustered around the Hur Report release: Feb 8, 9, 10, and then on March 8 & 9 had articles about Trump attacking Biden's age. Probably legitimate to address his age then, since Hur made a BFD about it.

Bev54

(10,072 posts)
33. Peter Baker is disingenuous, he is one of the NYtimes reporters that has disparaged Biden
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:48 PM
Apr 25

and tiviolized Trump's crime wave and Russian connections. That is putting his thumb on the scale.

malthaussen

(17,216 posts)
39. It keeps changing. The century's not very old, after all.
Fri Apr 26, 2024, 05:12 PM
Apr 26

And if it weren't for hyperbole, rags like the NYT would have nothing to say.

-- Mal

brooklynite

(94,737 posts)
31. Answer: no.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:19 PM
Apr 25

My wife and I have had a 7-day subscription since 1979. Still top of the line news reporting. Whether I like the story or not.

JHB

(37,162 posts)
25. Let's not forget they NYTimes breaking the Whitewater story by falling for every...
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:17 PM
Apr 25

...horseshit rumor about Clinton spread around Little Rock by the same people who, years earlier, had been part of the white Citizens Council crowd, and other assorted grifters and opportunists.

JHB

(37,162 posts)
34. We don't. But what part of that was exaggerated and misleading?
Fri Apr 26, 2024, 06:18 AM
Apr 26

What part of that amounted to a respected news organization being led by its own pretensions to serve as a vehicle for a smear campaign?

It was a phenomena hardly restricted to the NYT. Recall the New Republic's "Clinton suck-up watch".

soldierant

(6,926 posts)
26. I expect he actually believes that.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:18 PM
Apr 25

Because he believees (as do too many others) that making "both sides" look, if not the same, at least equivalent, is being "fair."

He doesn't realize that kind of fairness is not his job. The job of a journalist is to report the truth.

That is what we need to eliminate in jouralism, not just him. He's just one of many.

ramen

(791 posts)
28. Has anyone seen evidence of claim #2?
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:13 PM
Apr 25

I've seen a quote from a reporter alleging this but no reaction from the subject and no confirmation or denial from them.

hay rick

(7,640 posts)
36. The "journalistic middle" is complicit.
Fri Apr 26, 2024, 10:52 AM
Apr 26

The article on Sulzberger:

In Sulzberger’s view, according to two people familiar with his private comments on the subject, only an interview with a paper like the Times can verify that the 81-year-old Biden is still fit to hold the presidency.

Sulzberger is living in the past. The Times may be first in reach and influence for its elite readership, but those same readers have a plethora of other sources available.
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Lie of the century by NYT...