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Jack Shafer goes after the NYT's in Epic Rant

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Hawkeye10

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New York Times Journalists Are Groveling to Their Readers. That’s Pathetic
I don’t want my favorite hacks turned into marketers
By JACK SHAFER

November 21, 2017
Printed on his Times stationery and addressed to “Dear Times subscriber,” the note began with a lie: “Look, I’m not a marketer,” Kristof wrote, as he marketed the devil out of me for 350 words, thanking me for subscribing to the Times so that he and his colleagues can cover the world. “We have your back, because you have ours,” he wrote, his pandering reaching a crescendo, and closing with his wish that I would continue to shell out 1,000 bucks a year for the privilege of reading him and his colleagues in print

Two things bugged me about the letter. First was Kristof’s presumption that I might be a willing vessel for his gratitude. My relationship with him is more like my relationship to the station manager of the subway—he’s just another interchangeable employee producing a service that I use. I need or want a letter of thanks from Kristof as much as I do one from the station manager for riding the train. The truth of the matter is that I don’t subscribe to the Times so that he can, in his words, shine “a light on important or neglected stories.” I tolerate his heavy moral preening and self-indulgence so that I can read the rest of the Times package. His gratitude is the last thing I want from the paper.
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https://www.politico.com/magazine/s...-their-readers-thats-pathetic-215855?lo=ap_b1

Really good piece from Shafer....the complete failure of the so-called journalists makes it almost impossible to envision us pulling out of our dive anytime soon.
 
Hawkeye10 said:
New York Times Journalists Are Groveling to Their Readers. That’s Pathetic
I don’t want my favorite hacks turned into marketers
By JACK SHAFER November 21, 2017



https://www.politico.com/magazine/s...-their-readers-thats-pathetic-215855?lo=ap_b1

Really good piece from Shafer....the complete failure of the so-called journalists makes it almost impossible to envision us pulling out of our dive anytime soon.
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What struck ME is that a subscription to the NYT costs a grand a year. What??!!

Journalism practiced today is just barely journalism. I view most of them as shills looking desperately for their own byline.
 
MaggieD said:
What struck ME is that a subscription to the NYT costs a grand a year. What??!!

Journalism practiced today is just barely journalism. I view most of them as shills looking desperately for their own byline.
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Where is Shafer based? Outside of NYC where home delivery is available the price used to go up a bunch.....I looked for 2 minutes and did not find the answer.

Ya, they tend to be self branders and brain molders now, and I betcha at parties and in conversations between themselves they are honest about that.

It's all about making money and gaining power on the Bus Ride to UTOPIA
 
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holbritter said:
That was pretty funny
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What is that?

I am fairly sure Shafer was not going for funny, and I know that I am not....this is deadly serious business, the longer and more thoroughly journalism stays broken the more pain we are in for almost assuredly.
 
Hawkeye10 said:
What is that?

I am fairly sure Shafer was not going for funny, and I know that I am not....this is deadly serious business, the longer and more thoroughly journalism stays broken the more pain we are in for almost assuredly.
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How he presented it. I like a writer with a little humor.

19 other Times reporters and editors fouled my eyeballs

These words struck me like brain edema, almost precipitating a stroke

Then I studied the passage and began to crack the code. Maybe she hadn’t gone over to the dark side. Maybe she was blinking a secret message that said, “Help! We’re being held hostage in the basement of the Renzo Piano-designed New York Times Building by the marketing staff and they’ve promised to blow our brains out and chum the waters of the Hudson with our families unless we issue these mortifying endorsements.”


Do I need to go on?
 
MaggieD said:
What struck ME is that a subscription to the NYT costs a grand a year. What??!!
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The cover price is almost $1100 a year -- $2.50 Mon-Sat and $6 for Sunday (national edition).
 
holbritter said:
How he presented it. I like a writer with a little humor.

19 other Times reporters and editors fouled my eyeballs

These words struck me like brain edema, almost precipitating a stroke

Then I studied the passage and began to crack the code. Maybe she hadn’t gone over to the dark side. Maybe she was blinking a secret message that said, “Help! We’re being held hostage in the basement of the Renzo Piano-designed New York Times Building by the marketing staff and they’ve promised to blow our brains out and chum the waters of the Hudson with our families unless we issue these mortifying endorsements.”


Do I need to go on?
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Witty I think is what he was going for, to separate himself from all the hacks we have in the business now.
 
Harshaw said:
The cover price is almost $1100 a year -- $2.50 Mon-Sat and $6 for Sunday (national edition).
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Wow, that is probably it...

I was very disapppointed in what I get for my $6 on Sunday now, a few years ago I tried to get back into the habit I had held for a decade mostly in the 90's of spending the afternoon with the Times.

There is no longer even 2 hours of worthy content in the damn thing.

It was a very depressing experience.
 
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