Read on Twitter
1/ Sorry New York Times, I decline to be interviewed.
The harassment of @bariweiss and Scott Alexander are only two of the more recent reasons I no longer trust your paper. Helping elect Donald Trump is another. I encourage others in tech to #BoycottTheNYT
The harassment of @bariweiss and Scott Alexander are only two of the more recent reasons I no longer trust your paper. Helping elect Donald Trump is another. I encourage others in tech to #BoycottTheNYT
2/ The data makes it plain that the NYT has abandoned its commitment to nonpartisan reporting. When the internet threatened their business they made a devil’s bargain to amplify outrage and us-vs-them psychology. Racism wasn't a new problem in 2014 but their stock being down was.
3/ These are real problems, but do the graphs reflect a secular trend in the world or a change in business tactics? The suddenness of the spikes tells us it’s the latter, as does checking Google Trends where we don’t see corresponding spikes.
4/ Ezra Klein does a great job explaining what happened: the internet means news has to compete with more entertainment options, and no longer has to appeal to any particular geographic region containing people with diverse values. https://www.vox.com/2020/1/28/21077888/why-were-polarized-media-book-ezra-news
5/ How does the NYT complete with YouTube? Identity = virality was the Buzzfeed formula with articles like ‘X Things Only a Y Would Understand’. Klein: ‘outrage is deeply connected to identity’.
The New York Times is now functionally Buzzfeed with a cultured facade.
The New York Times is now functionally Buzzfeed with a cultured facade.
6/ The producers of politicized media are themselves the most voracious consumers of politicized media. The resulting distorted world view is what lead the NYT to assure us Trump had no chance in 2016.
7/ The NYT was *so* confident Trump had no chance that "In just six days, The New York Times ran as many cover stories about Hillary Clinton’s emails as they did about all policy issues combined in the 69 days leading up to the election." https://www.cjr.org/analysis/fake-news-media-election-trump.php
8/ After mishandling the election the NYT vowed to “rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor.” Sadly it's clear the lessons of 2016 have not been learned. https://bit.ly/2OT3Mex
9/ Quoting @bariweiss's now famous resignation letter, these are 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." https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter
10/ There are outlets across the political spectrum that claim to be fair that we know aren't. The difference is that the NYT used to have a genuine claim to fairness and not everyone yet realizes that they no longer do. https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/status/1283205813901733888
11/ In short, The New York Times and Trump harness the same forces. It's working: trust is down, but the stock is up. The paper of record is now an engine for turning out-group hatred into profit. We don’t have to help them. #BoycottTheNYT
I'm told I should use #ghostnyt. Interesting mix of left and right people retweeting. If anyone wants to learn more, the report I link to is a great place to start: https://www.cjr.org/analysis/fake-news-media-election-trump.php
As is @ezraklein's article: https://www.vox.com/2020/1/28/21077888/why-were-polarized-media-book-ezra-news
