Having been away, I come late to the subject of The New York Times’ remarkable editors’ note of May 26, but it’s too remarkable to pass up. For a paper to acknowledge that the “bright light of hindsight” that it shines so eagerly on others must be turned on itself is entirely in order but exceedingly rare. Thus it takes courage and wisdom to shine the light. Whatever issues one can take with the note –- with its not naming names, coming late, perhaps being forced by the questioning of others — are overwhelmed by the importance of this welcome step.
The media are all too willing to scrutinize everyone else while blithely ignoring our own failings. In smaller and larger ways, with lesser or greater intent, we cause harm yet move mutely on. As ombudsman at the Washington Post during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, I was deluged with reader protests over the multitude of anonymous sources, the apparent willingness to be used by prosecutorial leakers and the excess of column inches and reportorial time. Much criticism has been leveled since then — from Brill’s Content to the Project for Excellence in Journalism to several books and even some staff grumbling. But the institution has never looked back at the coverage for the benefit of readers and assessed its impact. Newspapers rarely do. How many reflect on a big local news story to see how well their coverage fared?
Few things could do more for our credibility. More importantly, few things could do more to keep us honest, thorough, comprehensive and fair. Here’s hoping The Times’ self-examination becomes an industry-wide habit.
