Bari Weiss quits New York Times in stinging letter alleging ‘constant bullying’ and calls Twitter its ‘ultimate editor’ – The Sun
BARI Weiss quit the New York Times in a stinging letter, citing "constant bullying" and said Twitter had become the paper's "ultimate editor."
On Tuesday, Weiss published the bombshell 1481-word resignation on her website, which was widely shared on Twitter.
She claimed that she had been on the receiving end of snide remarks from her co-workers as a result of her "centrist" views.
Weiss wrote that "that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else."
"Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor," she said.
"As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space.
"Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions.
News of her explosive resignation was first reported by Vice.
A 'PREDETERMINED NARRATIVE'
"I was always taught that journalists were charged with writing the first rough draft of history," Weiss said. "Now, history itself is one more ephemeral thing molded to fit the needs of a predetermined narrative."
Weiss said that her own "forays into Wrongthink" resulted in bullying from her colleagues, who she claimed called her "a Nazi and a racist."
She said she was subject to comments like "'writing about the Jews again.'”
She recently generated controversy when she signed an open letter published by Harper's Magazine decrying today's cancel culture.
She defended the Times' decision to publish Republican Sen. Tom Cotton's op-ed, calling on the Feds to bring in the troops to quash civil unrest in major US cities.
In her letter, Weiss said she was demeaned on company-wide Slack channels, where journalists and editors communicate.
'THE NEW ORTHODOXY'
"There, some coworkers insist I need to be rooted out if this company is to be a truly 'inclusive' one, while others post ax emojis next to my name," she continued.
"Still other New York Times employees publicly smear me as a liar and a bigot on Twitter with no fear that harassing me will be met with appropriate action. They never are."
"Why edit something challenging to our readers, or write something bold only to go through the numbing process of making it ideologically kosher, when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world?" Weiss continued.
She maintained that "self-censorship has become the norm" for journalists.
The former staff writer said the rules are implemented "selectively" in the NYT newsroom because of a fear of a social media backlash.
"If a person’s ideology is in keeping with the new orthodoxy, they and their work remain unscrutinized," she said.
"Everyone else lives in fear of the digital thunderdome [sic].
"Online venom is excused so long as it is directed at the proper targets."
'MCCARTHYISM'
Weiss went on to say that standing up for principle at the paper "puts a target on your back."
"Too wise to post on Slack, [work colleagues] write to me privately about the 'new McCarthyism' that has taken root at the paper of record," she claimed.
Weiss argued that the Times and other outlets of merit had "betray[ed] their standards and [lost] sight of their principles," citing the "the illiberal environment."
The Sun contacted the Times for comment on Tuesday afternoon.
Their spokesperson said the paper is "committed to fostering an environment of honest, searching and empathetic dialogue between colleagues, one where mutual respect is required of all."
Weiss spokesperson said she wasn't doing interviews at this time but that the letter "speaks for itself."
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