What exactly are Clark Hoyt's standards at the NY Times?

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005240008


What exactly are Clark Hoyt's standards at the NY Times?

May 24, 2010 9:10 am ET by Eric Boehlert



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Am I missing something here? Reviewing the Times' performance with the controversial Blumenthal story, Hoyt concluded the paper made four substantial procedural mistakes in putting the story together. (And yes, all four mistakes harmed Blumenthal, the Democrat.) But then in the very next breath Hoyt announced that the Times did its readers a service by publishing the story.

This defies logic.

Hoyt's job is to police the newspaper's journalism; to act as an independent newsroom cop and to make sure journalists there adhere to the highest possible standard. And for the Blumenthal story, Hoyt concluded that all kinds of corners were cut. Consequently, Blumenthal was treated quite unfairly by the newspaper, which, according to Hoyt, should have done this, this, this, and this.

But despite all those sins of omission-- omissions which if included in the original blockbuster would have severely undercut the article's newsworthiness-- Hoyt essentially gives the newsroom his seal of approval.

That's bad enough. But as I mentioned, there's also a pattern emerging of Hoyt giving the all-clear signal for shoddy Times journalism that rankles liberals and Democrats. In fact, this is the second time this year the Times has been attacked by the political left for clearly questionable reporting, Hoyt has addressed the issue, and Hoyt seemed to begin from the premise of, how can I defend the Times' reporting? (This past winter it was the Times' ACORN train wreck performance, which Hoyt practically engineered.)

And yes, this is the same Hoyt who devoted an entire column last year to scold the Times news team for not reacting quickly and urgently enough to partisan, right-wing stories born on the Internet. i.e. When conservatives complained about Times coverage, Hoyt was very quick to scold the newsroom. But twice now in recent months when liberals have scolded the newspaper, Hoyt went out of his way to defend the newsroom when it clearly was in the wrong. Even after Hoyt conceded the newspaper was in the wrong.

So yes, I remain puzzled: What exactly are Clark Hoyt's standards at the NY Times?

attempt to defend the indefensible. Sickening.

I no longer find them credible.

Blumenthal said he was on the Harvard swim team and the Times said he lied. Turns out he was the captain in his freshman year, and there are captioned photos to prove it. The Times stood by that story too.

Dems in CT gave Blumenthal the nomination despite the Times' story, and CT vets are sticking by him. As a Courant columnist wrote: "He's the best candidate in the race."

of course that was 1959. my how things have changed