"Like a burning sun that never sets, the New York Times is forever there, forever reminding us of its presence, and forever neglecting to give adequate recognition to the rays of light emitted by lesser stars." - Jack Shafer, Politico, May 23, 2022
The New York Times was almost human when it wasn't winning. Remember that. Thought leaders were speculating that some foundation would take it over. At the time it wasn't getting the hang of digital and didn't seem really to understand that was a must-do. Meanwhile the rest of us were sweating about page views. Making a living depended on it. That's what we knew.
That was then.
Now, as Shafer documents, that it's totally back it is again totally unlikable. Although I have paid subscriptions to a growing list of media outlets, I refuse to align myself with The New York Times.
The tone of The Times articles is one of ownership. Not accidentally readers get the feeling that this is the definitive word on topic X or topic Y. Maybe that's the game plan. Like the Roman Catholic Church, The New York Times seems to gaslight us that it is infallible.
Most annonying, of course: Its long-termers like David Brooks verbalize as if they were sun gods. All the world is supposed to turn to those worlds with adulation.
Maybe Shafer's observations, along with the growing number of nasty tweets, can break the spell. After all, Roman Catholism continues to lose global market share. At one time it had been one of the most powerful and during brands.
Connect with humber Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com.