Today's paper has a 24 page spread about the importance of the Times and the glory of its writers. This is part of the roll-out for a new high-bandwidth multimedia campaign, "These Times Demand the Times." This slogan first appeared in the mid-1980s, and the paper has decided that it's time for a resurrection.
In true Times style, the print spread is arrogant and more than a little amusing. But, after giggling, I remembered that these really are perilous times for journalists in the United States.
Politicians and reporters are natural adversaries. But usually politicians have some awareness of the importance of the press. President Bush seems to want a free media in Iraq, but he is pretty annoyed that he has to put up with any public scrutiny at home. And now that the Times has defied his wishes not to publish two important stories--first on illegal wiretapping, then on financial monitoring of terrorist groups--Bush drones chant that the paper will have "blood on its hands."
So a repressive mood is in the air, although the President won't get very far at warping the nation's values. One reason he will fail is because of institutions like the New York Times.
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