The New York Times Has A Bias

For John, BLUF:  How neutral are the papers?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From the Blog of Law Professor Ann Althouse we have this item:

Michael Kinsley asks NYT executive editor Jill Abramson whether there's an ideological bias in the paper's news articles.

I know, you can't expect her to admit it.  But the way she avoids admitting it is fascinating:

Um, I think that they would recognize a sort of cosmopolitan outlook that reflects that, even as we become international, we’re a New York–based news institution.

The story in The New Republic is headlined "A Q&A With Jill Abramson:  The Times' top editor on mean bosses, liberal biases, and the demise of the Washington Post".  The Washington Post is dead?  Did anyone notify the On-Line edition?

And "as we become international"?  What does that mean?  Perhaps The International Herald Tribune.

But, in the end, Ms Abramson is saying that The New York Times is just another home town newspaper.  It isn't Smallville.  It is Gotham City.  And this home town is addicted to strong leaders and the use of police power to corral those who are seen as problems, under the cover of doing it for the good of those being corralled.  It has an addiction to "the arts" and being cool.  It is dismissive of small town values and squares.

Regards  —  Cliff