February 04, 2004

DOWD, JOHNSON, OKRENT, ETC

New York Times public editor Daniel Okrent replies to an email I sent regarding apparent inconsistencies in the NYT’s op-ed pages:

Dear Mr. Blair,

Thank you for your note. I only began in this job on December 1, and I've pledged not to spend time on stories that arose before my tenure began, lest I disappear from view in the process.

Consequently, regarding Boris Johnson's comments, I asked the editors of the Op-Ed page for a reaction. They replied, "The Op-Ed staff has a very different memory of the editing experience."

As for what I wrote concerning Ms. Dowd, I stand by it.

Yours sincerely,
Daniel Okrent

Posted by Tim Blair at February 4, 2004 01:58 PM
Comments

Completely off-topic:

http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/default.asp?target=100000_planes.htm

Thank you, Australia. We're grateful for friends like you.

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut at February 4, 2004 at 02:34 PM

1. "Ditto" re: BS above
2. NYT=BBC?

Posted by: SLO Jim at February 4, 2004 at 02:37 PM

Barbara's link to the Aussie Air Traffic guys in Bagdad here:
Aussies get 100,000

(if you fix Barbs link then delete this Andrea)

Posted by: Arik at February 4, 2004 at 03:16 PM

Thank you, Australia. We're grateful for friends like you.

Then email your congressman and ask him or her to support letting Australian farmers sell sugar, meat and dairy products in the U.S.

Would save you some money, too, given that every time you buy beef, milk, butter or anything sweetened with sugar, you're paying a subsidy to American farmers who obviously don't consider Australians as friends.

Posted by: Mork at February 4, 2004 at 03:35 PM

Did I just read that correctly? Did the new NY Times public editor relay to Tim Blair that, according to the Times' Op-Ed staff, the honorable member for Henley is a liar???

Posted by: KevinV at February 4, 2004 at 03:38 PM

For once Mork, I agree with you.

Posted by: Quentin George at February 4, 2004 at 03:43 PM

Mork,
I agree.

And Aussies should write their local MP and tell them to pull down their ridiculous 'local content' media laws, and remove the idiotic Aussie movie industry subsidies.

Yay Mork! - now we're a team!

Posted by: Arik at February 4, 2004 at 04:24 PM

Arik, if the U.S. offered full access to agricultural markets in return for abolishing content requirements and movie subsidies, I dare say the agreement would have been done long ago.

Not that abolishing those things would not be an inherently good thing regardless of any deal ... of which the same can be said of agricultural subsidies.

Posted by: Mork at February 4, 2004 at 04:33 PM

With regards to the original post, you have to at least give Mr Okrent points for sending an email, even a short one, in response. Considering the readership that the NYT has, and the polarised opinions that it produces, (not to mention the bias and mistakes it makes) he must have quite a work load.
As for the ATC - anyone notice the kangaroos on the roof? Skippy is everywhere - even Iraq!

Posted by: Paul Dub at February 4, 2004 at 04:37 PM

Andrea - Morks being reasonable !

Does he get merit points for that ?

Posted by: Arik at February 4, 2004 at 04:52 PM

Off the topic-
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.
jsp?story=487557

Posted by: Jack at February 4, 2004 at 05:03 PM

Not so fast Arik, Mork doesn't commit either way, only uses it to sneer at someone that says thanks.

Posted by: Gary at February 4, 2004 at 05:34 PM

What's up, Gary, did the double negative confuse you?

Posted by: Mork at February 4, 2004 at 05:43 PM

Not at all Mork, can you fetch sticks to.

Posted by: Gary at February 4, 2004 at 05:52 PM

As someone who grew up on a farm, worked in the agricultural industries for many years and now teaches public policy at least occasionally, let me point out to Mork that the problem is not farmers as such as much as it is rent-seeking by both industry and politicians. If you really want to end farm subsidies in the U.S. (and many farmers would like that, also) then push globalization. I.e. remove the benefit to rent-seeking in the U.S. by large corporations by making them large enough that there is more profit without subsidies than with.

Of course, for this to work, most of Europe and Brazil at least would have to accept non-subsidized American crops, which is pretty unlikely.

Posted by: JorgXMcKie at February 5, 2004 at 12:53 AM

Dear Mr. Blair,


Thank you for your note. ...I've pledged not to spend time on stories,... lest I disappear...

Consequently, ...I asked the editors...for..."The...staff...experience."

I stand by it.


Yours sincerely,
Maureen Dowd


Posted by: Maureen Down at February 5, 2004 at 06:22 AM

Arik: for the last time, links typed out in full are not "broken," they are an acceptable way to present links for someone who really doesn't want to fool with figuring out the html tag. Copy and paste is your friend.

As for Mork: the evil-American-farm-subsidies thing is just his latest chew toy; he doesn't really care about Australian farmers, he just is under the mistaken impression that he needs to preach hatred of some aspect of American culture/politics/etc. to keep his online cred. I suspect masculinity issues, but that's just me.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 5, 2004 at 12:35 PM

Andrea,
Sorry about the link thing - I was being over-zealous.

I didn't see your previous post, when I guess you told me before - sometimes the boss corners me & I have to go off and cut enough code to keep him outa my hair ... I can see him coming now ...

Posted by: Arik at February 5, 2004 at 12:50 PM