Bari Weiss’ Scathing Review of the New York Times

Posted on Jul 15, 2020

Bari Weiss in her resignation from the New York Times painted a scathing picture of a once-renowned newspaper.  

Her criticisms should serve as a warning to the liberal media. 

Weiss writes:

But the lessons that ought to have followed the election—lessons about the importance of understanding other Americans, the necessity of resisting tribalism, and the centrality of the free exchange of ideas to a democratic society—have not been learned. Instead, a new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else.

Weiss goes on to explain how this intellectual dishonesty is a product of the Twitter mob:

Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions. I was always taught that journalists were charged with writing the first rough draft of history. Now, history itself is one more ephemeral thing molded to fit the needs of a predetermined narrative.

Twitter has become a place where social media CEOs, liberal politicians, and leftist journalists are given a megaphone while contrary views are censored. 

And while wrong, it’s not a surprise to learn the New York Times is dedicated to pleasing this internet audience. 

She continues:

Part of me wishes I could say that my experience was unique. But the truth is that intellectual curiosity—let alone risk-taking—is now a liability at The Times. Why edit something challenging to our readers, or write something bold only to go through the numbing process of making it ideologically kosher, when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world? And so self-censorship has become the norm.

Weiss in her letter confirms what President Trump has been saying for years: The “mainstream media” has a liberal political agenda, and they will not stop until the entire country falls in line with their progressive goals. 

And that agenda is seen not only in their editorial section but in what the Times considers to be “reporting” as well. 

We are constantly seeing stories published by the Times and similar outlets on unfounded conspiracy theories and anonymous accusations against President Trump that are proven time and time again to be false. 

Weiss concludes:

What rules that remain at The Times are applied with extreme selectivity. If a person’s ideology is in keeping with the new orthodoxy, they and their work remain unscrutinized. Everyone else lives in fear of the digital thunderdome. Online venom is excused so long as it is directed at the proper targets. 

Read her full letter here.