The New York Times ombudsperson agrees with readers that the paper is overplaying neocons and others who want more US intervention in Iraq–the same ones, she says, who pushed/pulled the US into Iraq last time with disastrous results. She has no explanation. She even criticizes her paper for overusing anonymous administration sources. She does note that some columnists are opposing intervention, like Tom Friedman, who was pro-war last time and has admitted he was wrong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/public-editor/covering-new-war-in-shadow-of-old-one.html
I’ve summarized the article here so that you won’t have to pay the NYT for the privilege of reading it. I believe that the NYT, once the “paper of record” and standard-setter for the industry, is today no more than a large local paper with the same standards as the rest. Jayson Blair (who made up hundreds of stories) and Judith Miller (who willingly swallowed anonymous Bush admin lies and helped it make the case for the Iraq war) are either symptoms or causes of the demise. Whatever–the NYT is no longer the paper to be read first and quoted first. In today’s sorry state of journalism–there is no such animal.
the author in a mood 😉