NYT Publisher: Paper Slow In Correcting WMD Coverage; Many Share Blame

[Hissyspit]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB7KWMQCFE.html

Times Publisher: Paper Was Slow in Correcting Coverage About WMD and Iraq; Many Share Blame

By Michael Weissenstein Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said Friday that the newspaper was far too slow in correcting its reports indicating Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but the blame did not lie entirely with Judith Miller, the author of many of the stories.

In a speech to the Online News Association, Sulzberger also defended Miller's decision to go to jail to protect the identity of her source, vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Miller was released last month after agreeing to testify to the grand jury that indicted Libby on Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, making a false statement and perjury.

- snip -

In his address, Sulzberger said the failure not to quickly correct the Iraqi weapons reports rested also with the Times' many editors.
"It was an institutional failure. We didn't own up to it quickly enough," he said. "The story is not over."

Asked after the speech whether he was referring to ongoing developments in Washington or the status of Miller's relationship with the Times, he said he left that deliberately ambiguous and preferred not to be more specific.

MORE AT LINK


Editor and Publisher's coverage of the same speech:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001391805

Sulzburger Addresses Judy Miller Controversy, Stresses Ethics in Journalism at ONA Conference

By Jay DeFoore
Published: October 28, 2005 12:57 PM ET

NEW YORK New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzburger Jr. laid out the company's vision for restoring trust and ethics in journalism Friday at a speech before the Online News Association's annual convention in New York. Sulzburger, speaking at a time when his newspaper is yet again facing scrutiny over its reporting, also gamely took questions regarding the Judy Miller controversy from journalists in the audience.

- snip -

5) Journalistic ethics must be upgraded. Speaking of journalistic fabricators Janet Cook, Stephen Glass, and "our own Jayson Blair," Sulzburger said too often journalists lose sight of their primary responsibility, which is simply "to tell the truth."

6) Strong, ethical values should be adopted across all media. Speaking of the Internet and the blogosphere, which he referred to as an "immense group of writers who adhere to a wide range of standards," Sulzburger said, "fairness and accuracy separates the best of mainstream media from bloggers."

- snip -

A final question, and one no doubt on many minds at the convention, asked Sulzburger whether the increasingly powerful Google is a "friend or foe" of mainstream media organizations. While Sulzburger admitted that the search giant is a "huge partner" with The New York Times and especially About.com, he noted that the company's latest forays into advertising and possibly classifieds shows that it is simply "going to go with the market leads them. And I don't blame them for that. … We have to get there before others do, and shame on us if we don't."

MORE

[400Years]

1. They were intentionally spreading propaganda

hence the foot dragging

[LisaM]

2. Failure to correct? Why were they published in the first place?

There was ample evidence that Iraq did not have WMD, so why they had the nerve to report it at all is beyond me.

[Hissyspit]

3. Read the E&P version of the story. He is even more obnoxious in it.

His speech is covered more extensively in the Editor and Publisher link I just added.

[fshrink]

4. And of course it comes out shily now that the wind turns.

This, in itself, makes it even worse. What journalists have in very short supply is guts. And I'm talking about the ranking ones, those who necessarily killed the stories cropping up when it could have made a difference. This is disgusting.

[UpInArms]

5. What a pissbag this guy is!

The NYTs has not ever come fully clean about the lies that it has pushed and shoved down this country's throat.

The editors and their crapassed "journalists" - Miller and Bumiller come to mind (but there was "Steno" Sue Schmidt of the WashPost, too).

:puke: on them all

[blm]

6. The TRUTH: NYT needed to downplay the facts till AFTER the election,

as per their election coverage agreement with Karl Rove.

They didn't want to be in breech of their contract with the BFEE.

[sabra]

7. Publisher talks about New York Times coverage of W-M-D's and Iraq

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=4043465&nav=23ii

Publisher talks about New York Times coverage of W-M-D's and Iraq

NEW YORK New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Junior says the newspaper was far too slow in correcting its reports indicating Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

But he says the blame did not lie entirely with Judith Miller, the author of many of the stories. He calls it an "institutional failure."

In a speech to the Online News Association, Sulzberger also defended Miller's decision to go to jail to protect the identity of her source, vice presidential chief of staff Lewis Libby.

...

Sulzberger says the reputation of the New York Times has been hurt by the ongoing controversy.

[montanacowboy]

8. And it continues to be hurt

by bullshit like this

Sulzberger just does not get it

[ewagner]

9. Bull.....

Fitzgerald made it clear that Judy was jailed not because she was protecting a souce (a la first amendment) but because she was witness to a crime.

Get that through your thick skull Sulzberger.........

[Kagemusha]

10. WE get to call this institutional failure. It's HIS institution.

But, the whole concept of command responsibility has died a silent death in America. It's truly sad to see.

[calimary]

11. STILL covering for Judith Miller, 'eh?

STILL trying to powder her ass and fix her makeup. SHEESH!!!

I SERIOUSLY wonder two things:

1) Are they lovers?
2) Does she have something on him?

[OKNancy]

12. Kick

[Cha]

13. So when are they going to

get called on these lies they're telling today?

[cal04]

14. Times Publisher: Paper Was Slow in Correcting Coverage

Times Publisher: Paper Was Slow in Correcting Coverage About WMD and Iraq; Many Share Blame

New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said Friday that the newspaper was far too slow in correcting its reports indicating Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but the blame did not lie entirely with Judith Miller, the author of many of the stories. "It was an institutional failure," he said. "We didn't own up to it quickly enough."

In a speech to the Online News Association, Sulzberger also defended Miller's decision to go to jail to protect the identity of her source, vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Miller was released last month after agreeing to testify to the grand jury that indicted Libby on Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, making a false statement and perjury. Sulzberger acknowledged the criticism of Miller, who in the wake of her release from jail has been described on the pages of the Times as untruthful to her editors and difficult to control.

"As the lawyers often say, not every case has a perfect fact pattern," he said. "We fully support, supported, Judy throughout her litigation and when she decided to go to jail to protect a fundamental journalistic principle." Sulzberger also addressed Miller's statement, in a first-person article about the case, that she had once agreed to identify Libby as a "former Hill staffer" because he had worked on Capitol Hill. The description never made its way into a story but the agreement has been described as deceptive by many journalists. Although confidential sources are key to thorough coverage of Washington, he said, the Times is reviewing its practices.
"We can't ever be lying to our readers" about sources' identities, Sulzberger said. "And I think we have a responsibility to our readers to be clear as to why they're talking to us. What's their stake in it?" When asked by a member of the audience whether he thought the Times' credibility had been hurt by what the questioner termed its failure to fire Miller, he responded, "No, I don't."

He added, however, "There's no question there has been an effect on the way people are viewing us because of this Judy Miller situation and because of the aftereffects of the testimony." "We are certainly trying to own up to that," he said. "The story is not over." Asked after the speech whether he was referring to ongoing developments in Washington or the status of Miller's relationship with the Times, he said he left that deliberately ambiguous and preferred not to be more specific.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBWFDB4DFE.html

[FloridaPat]

15. Too little too late.

[ClintonTyree]

16. What does Judas Miller have on these people?

Her whoring, stinking ass should have been thrown out the door a long time ago. What the hell is she still doing there? :wtf:

Does she have some interesting information she could share about Mr. Sulzberger? :shrug: That's the only thing I can think of as to why she is still in the employ of the New York Times. Maybe SHE'S a covert CIA operative and they CAN'T fire her? Something's going on, this stinks to high heaven and the NYT isn't doing a damned thing to squelch the odor.

[rodeodance]

17. it was more like a cloggled artery!!

[rodeodance]

18. or it had a severe case of constipation!!