The New York Times, one of the top newsprint journalism giants in the world, has endured a second harsh blow to its stellar reputation: Judith Miller.
Way back, before the war in Iraq began, the Times published a series of articles that confirmed the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Judith Miller was the author or co-author of these. When she was asked to identify the location, Miller could not remember where she saw them or whom she was with at the time.
Miller later said she got the story “totally” wrong, blaming bad sources and upholding her journalistic integrity, saying she did the best she could, according to the Times.
Her editor Bill Keller, the Times executive editor, told Miller she was no longer allowed to cover Iraq and weapons issues. But, “Miss Run Amok,” as Miller referred to herself around the newsroom, did what she wanted and kept writing about Iraq and weapons.
For a top-notch newspaper to have a Jason Blair and a Judith Miller on staff speaks to newspapers across the country; even the best of the best can be flawed.
But, Ed Board can’t help but wonder how the run-a-mucks and fiction writers are able to rise to the top in the industry without any system of checks and balances. Sure, there is a certain level of trust an editor and writer have when a story has been assigned, covered and written. But, exactly how deep does this level of trust go? Miller ran her own show at the Times. Does working for the Times mean you have the freedom to write anything you want with none or close to no discretion from your editor?
Ed Board is not suggesting that the reporters who write for the Times have not earned their keep as great writers and reporters over the years, but is merely asking: How far does this level of trust extend? Clearly, editors need to keep a tighter leash on certain reporters who have a tendency to do whatever they want. However, for a top daily newspaper to compile stories and information from around the world and then condense it into a 50-page product before deadline, how tight of a leash can an editor keep?
If there’s one thing Ed Board has learned from all of this is, it is that nothing is perfect. When reporting the news or any type of story, there is always a margin of error. Most journalists have either had training or have a knack for uncovering the closest thing to the truth.
Others, as Ed Board has seen, have a complete disregard for the truth. Ed Board advises what it believes to be “these few journalists” to go write a fiction novel, because clearly seeking the truth is not your thing.
