Shocka: LA Times opinion editor complains of newsroom’s “agenda”
posted at 10:24 am on March 23, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Former opinion editor, I should say. It turned out he was sleeping with an employee of the PR firm that represents Hollywood producer Brian Grazer, who, coincidentally, was tapped to guest-edit the paper’s “Current” section this weekend. When the Times’s publisher found out about the conflict of interest, he killed the section. Whereupon the opinion editor, Andres Martinez, quit. But not before writing this:
Among the biggest possible conflicts of interest a newspaper can enter into is to have the same people involved in news coverage running opinion pages. I am proud of the fact that Jeff Johnson, Dean Baquet and I fully separated the opinion pages from the newsroom at the Times. I accept my share of the responsibility for placing the Times in this predicament, but I will not be lectured on ethics by some ostensibly objective news reporters and editors who lobby for editorials to be written on certain subjects, or who have suggested that our editorial page coordinate more closely with the newsroom’s agenda, and I strongly urge the present and future leadership of the paper to resist the cries to revisit the separation between news and opinion that we have achieved.
Patterico says there sure is a scandal here but it has nothing to do with nookie payola and everything to do with a “agenda” being acknowledged by a guy who was, until this week, one of the paper’s own top editors. I’m inclined to agree. Exit question: Which black eye for the Times is bigger?
Update: Martinez names names. Sweet. He dropped this in the New York Times, too: “There’s a general post-Jayson Blair, post-Staples Center obsession with covering yourself to a fault. I would argue this is taking it too far. The wheels of this bus have come off. There’s not strong leadership in the newsroom, and there’s a perception that [LAT publisher David] Hiller is trying to suck up to Hollywood and advertisers.”
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Comments
They will play the sex angle to mask the real story. C’mon, we’re talking the Slimes here.
bbz123 on March 23, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Once again, the media is its own leading story.
How tiresome.
spd rdr on March 23, 2007 at 10:32 AM
These people don’t have agendas, how many times do they have to tell you that?
benrand on March 23, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Allah, The MSM will play it as you say ‘nookie payola’, but only if FNC or talk radio or the right-o-sphere force their hand, otherwise it would be embargoed.
Even if they’d like to knock the LAT down a peg, they won’t to CYA, as the media’s played its agenda hand too openly, and the last thing they need is written proof of more bias.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 10:41 AM
I know, I know, I am quoting him out of context and it is missing the nuance and I am too stupid to understand without further claffification.
/Right
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Andres Martinez doesn’t think journalists can do news coverage and run opinion pages without getting the two confused.
I can’t imagine this revelation came easily.
Jose Chupacabra on March 23, 2007 at 10:49 AM
Y’all just don’t worry about the ‘agenda’ thing. Just remember that the only agenda-driven news agency is Fox News. Oh, and I question the timing.
Carry on.
Matticus Finch on March 23, 2007 at 10:50 AM
“Doesn’t happen…disgruntled former employee trying to discredit fine organization…nothing to see here…Bush lied…”
eeyore on March 23, 2007 at 10:53 AM
Well, he’ll be fired!
Warner Todd Huston on March 23, 2007 at 11:07 AM
According to Kaus and others, Martinez told everyone involved that he was dating thePR girl. He specifically told the publisher multiple times, and it was only when the newsroom heard about it and made a stink that it became an issue.
libertarianuberalles on March 23, 2007 at 11:09 AM
Cathy would have LOVED this…..
Tru2my2 on March 23, 2007 at 11:10 AM
…as I have sexual relations with a woman who is not my wife.
RedinBlueCounty on March 23, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Bias in the mainstream news media? Like that would happen. Next you’ll be telling me that “man-made global warming” is just a bunch of junk science cobbled together to push a political agenda.
ReubenJCogburn on March 23, 2007 at 12:25 PM
The fact that they are reporting erronious ‘news‘ stories without even making an effort to correct those at a later date is definitely the bigger black eye for the Times.
DannoJyd on March 23, 2007 at 2:47 PM