NYT: Behind the Eavesdropping Story, a Loud Silence

[jazzjunkysue]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/opinion/01publiceditor.html

Behind the Eavesdropping Story, a Loud Silence

By BYRON CALAME
Published: January 1, 2006

THE New York Times's explanation of its decision to report, after what it said was a one-year delay, that the National Security Agency is eavesdropping domestically without court-approved warrants was woefully inadequate. And I have had unusual difficulty getting a better explanation for readers, despite the paper's repeated pledges of greater transparency.


For the first time since I became public editor, the executive editor and the publisher have declined to respond to my requests for information about news-related decision-making. My queries concerned the timing of the exclusive Dec. 16 article about President Bush's secret decision in the months after 9/11 to authorize the warrantless eavesdropping on Americans in the United States.

<snip>
For me, however, the most obvious question is still this: If no one at The Times was aware of the eavesdropping prior to the election, why wouldn't the paper have been eager to make that clear to readers in the original explanation and avoid that politically charged issue? The paper's silence leaves me with uncomfortable doubts.

[MichiganVote]

1. Chicken shit incompetents huddled over their 6 figure salaries

[MADem]

2. They oughta promote that guy, and make HIM the Executive Editor of the NYT

He seems like the only goddamn adult at the old gray lady....

[kcass1954]

5. Nah, he's probably gonna get canned - without all the perks Judy got.

If NYT sat on this story for a year, don't think they'll hesitate to drop this guy like a hot potato.

I do agree with you though - it's an excellent piece, written by a true journalist.

[MasonJar]

3. NYT is just another GWB enabler.

[dpbrown]

4. Because the editor and publisher are media whores for the BFEE, that's why

Enabler!

Get thee to an intervetion, demon!

[peacetalksforall]

6. Wasn't it first reported that it was one year and a couple of months when

the NYT discovered the warrantless spying?