The New York Times is Like a Religion

Well, unless you are reading about it in The New York Times.

Thanks to the Althouse blog for this catch, they deleted the quote from their own paper.

I skipped this item yesterday, when Law Profesor Ann Althouse blogged here about "The Paper of Record" as being like a religion.

Now, the Old Grey Lady has deleted the quote from the new editor, Ms Jill Abramson, who said:

In my house growing up, The Times substituted for religion.  If The Times said it, it was the absolute truth.

Professor Althouse asked how this would shape the newspaper now that Ms Abramson has replaced Mr Bill Keller as Executive Editor of The New York Times:

1. You have a deep moral obligation to insure that it is absolutely true, to respect the faith that others put in it and to preserve and grow the community of believers because of your dedication to truth, or...
2. You are embedded in the faith, carrying on the commitment to the idea that it is the truth and impressing that faith that it is the truth on readers, so that they keep looking to you as the mouthpiece of truth and don't go wandering off looking for some other viewpoints.

It could be #1 or #2 or both or neither.

I am thinking "both" is not an option, but then The New York Times is not my religion.

When I buy the paper it is for Maureen Dowd's column or the Book Reviews, and with regard to that I am thinking of switching back to The New York Review of Books.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Regards  —  Cliff