Thursday, June 5, 2003
Disgraced Editors of New York Times Quit
New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd, caught up in the paper's recent scandals, have resigned, the corporation said today.
"This is a day that breaks my heart," Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. told employees this morning.
'Mean-Spirited'
Even before getting caught up in the uproar over the publishing of fictional dispatches written by underqualified reporter Jayson Blair, the resignation of reporter Rick Bragg and the dishonesty of columnist Maureen Dowd, Raines had been a controversial figure for his autocratic, morale-crushing behavior and leftist bias at the world's most powerful newspaper. An analyst on Fox News Channel this morning described his reign as "mean-spirited."
Raines' persecution of the private membership policies of Augusta National Golf Club, for example, bordered on monomania until his own internal problems distracted him.
'Inaccessible and Arrogant'
"You view me as inaccessible and arrogant," Raines told staffers at a meeting May 14. "You believe the newsroom is too hierarchical, that my ideas get acted on and others get ignored. I heard that you were convinced there's a star system that singles out my favorites for elevation."
Eric Burns, Fox News' media analyst and host of Fox News Watch, said there were two possible reasons for the resignations: the "horrible scope of the Blair scandal that was abetted by Boyd and Raines," and because both editors vehemently denied that their resignations were necessary to wipe the slate clean.
"It's almost certain when you're vehement enough, the opposite will happen," Burns said.
The Times announced that 66-year-old Joseph Lelyveld, former executive editor, would fill in for Raines.
"Howell and Gerald have tendered their resignations, and I have accepted them with sadness based on what we believe is best for The Times," Sulzberger stated. "They have made enormous contributions during their tenure, including an extraordinary seven Pulitzer Prizes in 2002 and another this year. I appreciate all of their efforts in continuing the legacy of our great newspaper.
'Highest Standards of Integrity'!
"I am grateful to Joe Lelyveld, an editor of superb talents and outstanding accomplishments, for his willingness to provide strong journalistic leadership as we select new executive and managing editors. While the past few weeks have been difficult, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our employees, our readers and our advertisers to produce the best newspaper we can by adhering to the highest standards of integrity and journalism."
Raines, 60, was promoted from editor of the Times' leftist editorial page to executive editor in 2001. This morning, according to the paper, he told his former colleagues, "Remember, when a great story breaks out, go like hell."
Ignorant Even of Themselves
On its Web site today, the Times' article about the resignations admitted a curious ignorance about events in its own newsroom: "While Mr. Raines had tried hard in recent days to win over some of his biggest internal critics, at dinners and in private conversation, it was not immediately clear this morning why that effort had come to an abrupt end."
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Corporate Scandals
Media Bias
Disgraced Editors of New York Times Quit
New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd, caught up in the paper's recent scandals, have resigned, the corporation said today.
"This is a day that breaks my heart," Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. told employees this morning.
'Mean-Spirited'
Even before getting caught up in the uproar over the publishing of fictional dispatches written by underqualified reporter Jayson Blair, the resignation of reporter Rick Bragg and the dishonesty of columnist Maureen Dowd, Raines had been a controversial figure for his autocratic, morale-crushing behavior and leftist bias at the world's most powerful newspaper. An analyst on Fox News Channel this morning described his reign as "mean-spirited."
Raines' persecution of the private membership policies of Augusta National Golf Club, for example, bordered on monomania until his own internal problems distracted him.
'Inaccessible and Arrogant'
"You view me as inaccessible and arrogant," Raines told staffers at a meeting May 14. "You believe the newsroom is too hierarchical, that my ideas get acted on and others get ignored. I heard that you were convinced there's a star system that singles out my favorites for elevation."
Eric Burns, Fox News' media analyst and host of Fox News Watch, said there were two possible reasons for the resignations: the "horrible scope of the Blair scandal that was abetted by Boyd and Raines," and because both editors vehemently denied that their resignations were necessary to wipe the slate clean.
"It's almost certain when you're vehement enough, the opposite will happen," Burns said.
The Times announced that 66-year-old Joseph Lelyveld, former executive editor, would fill in for Raines.
"Howell and Gerald have tendered their resignations, and I have accepted them with sadness based on what we believe is best for The Times," Sulzberger stated. "They have made enormous contributions during their tenure, including an extraordinary seven Pulitzer Prizes in 2002 and another this year. I appreciate all of their efforts in continuing the legacy of our great newspaper.
'Highest Standards of Integrity'!
"I am grateful to Joe Lelyveld, an editor of superb talents and outstanding accomplishments, for his willingness to provide strong journalistic leadership as we select new executive and managing editors. While the past few weeks have been difficult, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our employees, our readers and our advertisers to produce the best newspaper we can by adhering to the highest standards of integrity and journalism."
Raines, 60, was promoted from editor of the Times' leftist editorial page to executive editor in 2001. This morning, according to the paper, he told his former colleagues, "Remember, when a great story breaks out, go like hell."
Ignorant Even of Themselves
On its Web site today, the Times' article about the resignations admitted a curious ignorance about events in its own newsroom: "While Mr. Raines had tried hard in recent days to win over some of his biggest internal critics, at dinners and in private conversation, it was not immediately clear this morning why that effort had come to an abrupt end."
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Corporate Scandals
Media Bias
