April 24, 2013

"The executive editor of The New York Times was upset about the paper’s recent news coverage... it wasn’t 'buzzy' enough..."

Reports Politico, buzzily.
[The editor, Jill Abramson] placed blame on [Dean] Baquet, her managing editor. A debate ensued, which gave way to an argument. Minutes later, Baquet burst out of Abramson’s office, slammed his hand against a wall, and stormed out of the newsroom....

In recent months, Abramson has become a source of widespread frustration and anxiety within the Times newsroom. More than a dozen current and former members of the editorial staff, all of whom spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity, described her as stubborn and condescending, saying they found her difficult to work with...

“Every editor has a story about how she’s blown up in a meeting,” one reporter said. “Jill can be impossible,” said another staffer....

“I think there’s a really easy caricature that some people have bought into, of the bitchy woman character and the guy who is sort of calmer,” [Dean Baquet] said. “That, I think, is a little bit of an unfair caricature.”
The anonymous and the named. Who are you going to believe?
If Abramson is disengaged, Baquet is just the opposite: He cares about newsroom morale and he cares about being liked, staffers say....

Increasingly, it is Baquet, not Abramson, to whom staffers turn when they’re seeking a litmus test of the Times’ future. Where Abramson’s approach has caused anxiety, Baquet’s ability to march forward has provided reassurance.
Hmm. Seems like a coup.

40 comments:

FleetUSA said...

I am sure the NYT newsroom is normally filled with bitchiness (both men and women). They all feel so entitled just being there.

rhhardin said...

I've walked out of boss's offices but it's not necessary to hit walls.

Just walking out makes the point.

Scott M said...

And here I thought women bosses were better because they built coalitions and paid more empathetic attention to their co-workers.

Minutes later, Baquet burst out of Abramson’s office, slammed his hand against a wall, and stormed out of the newsroom....

Typical male aggression. I don't know how Abramson can come to work each day with that sort of threat of violence looming.

Astro said...

We know how this goes around here. It's clearly not her fault.

dreams said...

I just check the stock chart, still kicking myself for not shorting the the stock years ago. Maybe I can still make some money from their eventual and well deserved demise.

traditionalguy said...

Aggression is what the proud NYT has been doing against its enemies real and imagined since the 1960s.

The paper of record has long been a WWF faux fight promoter with the Good Guys and the Bad Guys and window dressing Referees to sell Paper Tickets that get you in to see what excites the aggression starved liberal psyches.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's hard to believe anyone could be mean who's named Jill.

Wince said...

Jill Abramson: "It's myyyy waaaay or the hiiiigh waaaay."

SteveR said...

Does he still get to go to the parties?

Brian said...

"It's a little bit unfair that people call her a bitch" isn't exactly high praise.

edutcher said...

But the Gray Lady's audience is white well-to-do Lefty females.

I guess, without a man in their lives, they need something to feel buzzy.

mccullough said...

These people are fucking whiners.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Speaking of our silly and pathetic American "news" outlets...
This is what passes for news now. Satire from the leftwingers.

Amartel said...

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

An organization headed by a woman named Abra(ha)mson having a problem with interpersonal conflict.

Sounds familiar

Anonymous said...

EDH: She's a grown woman with vocal fry.

I saw a quick 2 minute youtube interview with her, and she's the kind of person I wound't want to work for. She just may buy into all the bullshit about and around her.

Good bosses are much more humble, more decisive, more responsible, and ultimately, just focus on getting the job done.

I'll take competence any day.

From where I sit, the NY Times Bullpen includes a former crackhead, the 'gentry' liberal spinster Modo, firmly hitched to the 'woman zeitgeist' along with Abrahamson, Krugman who'll have to stick to his deeply Left of Center beliefs without always having the reasoning to back them up...

Tom Friedman, second only to Al Gore in profiting from global warming bloviation (though he does travel and says some useful things)

David Brooks, the 'house' conservative and Ross Douthat the Catholic conservative

Other than that it seems like a lot of global warming true believers, postmoderns, feminists, some rigidly Left Of Center folks, the gay rights gestapo, panderers to hipsterdom, and breathlessly confused bunch of people hoist upon their own ideas.

It's a hothouse over there, owned by Carlos Slim.

They need to get back to basics and master the new medium first, then worry about leaning forward.

My two cents.

Carl said...

The amazing thing about the sexes is how biology always trumps every imagined self-definition.

Here's the learned law professor, still checking her hair in the mirror. Does this article make me look bitchy? Are women in power treated fairly? How should I feel about this? What does 'fairly' even mean? I think I need some chocolate...

Can we imagine, say, The Blogfather posting a similarly navel-gazing post about the subtle aspects of perceptions of men in power?

And let's say he did. How many of his male readers would say Oh! I SO know what you mean!

Instead of Uh...what? Say, what's the latest deliciously ironic Obummer? Got any links to titillating stories about 21st century relationships in The Frisky? "Titillating," ha ha ha...see what I did there? What were we talking about? Hold on, I gotta get another beer/take a leak/finish this drywall...

You know those weird Wegman photos of dogs dressed up in clothes? That's us.

Anonymous said...

And a lot of Obama fellation, too.

At least show some critical distance with politicians, even if he is your guy.

It's pathetic, and leaves the paper with fewer options.

dreams said...

"David Brooks, the 'house' conservative and Ross Douthat the Catholic conservative"

David Brooks isn't conservative.

David-2 said...

Scott M said...

"Minutes later, Baquet burst out of Abramson’s office, slammed his hand against a wall, and stormed out of the newsroom...."

Typical male aggression. I don't know how Abramson can come to work each day with that sort of threat of violence looming.

Well, at least he didn't place his hands around her neck. That we know of. Yet.

Anonymous said...

David Brooks is a secret conservative, sent to engage the liberal agenda in my fever dream.

When I look at the spectrum of intelligent Jewish guys, I'd much rather have Brooks than Ezra Klein (aspiring intelligence), Krugman, Noam Chomsky etc.

I'll take the Chicago school, too.

You need a broad tent to get those guys over towards life, liberty and property, and not alienate them too much and make them radicalize along with Obama's lefty paradise or vote liberal as many do.

This may sound a little conspiratorial to some, but I'll take Brooksy over a lot of the other options.

Alex said...

For a depiction of New York aggressive yellow journalism watch "Citizen Kane".

Michael K said...

Sinking ship. Rats.

Æthelflæd said...

Carl said..." And let's say he did. How many of his male readers would say Oh! I SO know what you mean!"

You never actually read any of the female commenters here, do you?

Marty said...

Frankly, I'd rather read about the Kardashians. At least they make no pretense about being trash.

Marty said...

Frankly, I'd rather read about the Kardashians. At least they make no pretense about being trash.

Sam L. said...

It's the NYT; a plague upon them as they are on us.

Seeing Red said...

If Jill isn't being buzzed enough, someone should buy her a vibrator.

ricpic said...

Yes, he hit the wall. But did he hit hit the wall?

Known Unknown said...

Abramson is right ... I can't find a single damn article about Ruth Buzzy in today's NYT.

Known Unknown said...

Minutes later, Baquet burst out of Abramson’s office, slammed his hand against a wall

Was it a pay wall?

Rob said...

As Auntie Mame said, "Life is a Baquet, and most poor suckers are obliged to listen while Jill Abramson rants and raves."

Jason (the commenter) said...

Sounds like they're getting lonely behind their paywall.

David said...

"a little bit unfair"

Ha!

So it's a little bit fair too, eh?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hmm. Seems like a coup.

Reminiscent of another black man underling making a move on the perceived heir to the throne.

Saint Croix said...

A lot of the "journalism" in the Gosnell case has been about the lack of journalism. This is a pretty good article in that regard.

See also this.

McTriumph said...

Two diversity hires at the NYT.
Two Ivy League diversity grads. They have so much in common, why can't they just get along.

MarkD said...

Captain and First Mate duking it out on the bridge of the Titanic, at least judging by fiscal performance.

Brent said...

For the Times, it is a-chaaa--aaa-
-aanging.

Freeman Hunt said...

What a bunch of babies, blabbing to reporters about the mean boss and the nice boss. Maybe some of them need detention.