'L.A. Times': Sources Say Pending Book Did Help Push 'N.Y. Times' to Publi

[sabra]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001701012

'L.A. Times': Sources Say Pending Book Did Help Push 'N.Y. Times' to Publish Spy Story


NEW YORK Since it broke the big domestic spy program story last week, The New York Times has been accused (from the left) of holding back the story since before the November 2004 election, and (from the right) publishing it only now because of a pending book written by one of its reporters. Today, a respected reporter for the Los Angeles Times claims to have confirmed both notions.

...

According to Rainey, New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller rejects the suggestion that the timing of the story was linked to next month's scheduled publication of "State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration," by Times reporter James Risen, who co-authored last week's spy scoop.

...

"But two journalists, who declined to be identified, said that editors at the paper were actively considering running the story about the wiretaps before Bush's November showdown with Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts.

...

"'When they realized that it was going to appear in the book anyway, that is when they went ahead and agreed to publish the story," said one of the journalists. 'That's not to say that was their entire consideration, but it was a very important one of them.'

[ananda]

1. two hands...

On the one hand, the NYT was wrong for breaking the story because of its top secret, classified info; on the other hand, the NTY is villified for holding the story and breaking it in order to help a reporter sell a book.

What happened to good, plain, honest journalism? Lost in the culture of corruption.

Sue

[second edition]

2. So it does appear they had this information before the 2004

election. I wasn't sure of the dates till I read this. You know, we should be outraged about this. They really went after Kerry with everything. More and more, I am coming to realize that Kerry should be our President he should of won, but they were just not going to let that happen.

[ClintonTyree]

3. Sulzberger should resign.........

from the Times. Another guy who inherited everything and fucked it up. Sound familiar? There's a good article about him in the December 19 issue of, "The New Yorker". He's "supposedly" left leaning but everything he's done has mysteriously helped the bush administration. He's certainly as incompetent as bush, maybe more so, if that's possible.

[global1]

4. Come On - This Is A Covenient Cover Story To Make This Spying....

incident look partisan and contrived. Why is it so hard to believe that *Co told them to hold the story? That seems more believable.

[robbedvoter]

5. Bingo! trying to discredit NYT for breaking it.

Holding it was bad - but breaking it su support a fellow reporter? Uh, shall we, maybe,impeach the NYT?

[gratuitous]

6. The NYT should change their motto

Because "All The News That's Fit To Print" somehow doesn't seem to fit into this scenario anywhere that I can see. Newspapers aren't supposed to be publication arms for the government. If you have a story, you run it.

I think it's also instructive that on the eve of finally publishing, the Times brass was summoned to the White House for one last plaintive bit of groveling or threatening from Bush (see Talking Points Memo). Now, why would the Times even consider attending an off-the-record meeting? Either you have the story or you don't. If you need more information, then put the administration's non-denial denial on the record. If you don't need more information, then politely decline to attend the White House's arm-twisting session.

The Times might get a Pulitzer for this story, but in my opinion, they won't deserve it.

[realFedUp]

7. This information, who was involved in outing Plame,

Republican's illegal dealings with Abramoff, DeLay and the illegality
of redistricting in Texas would have surely influenced the outcome
of election 2004.

Plenty of blame to go around.