The New York Times is one of the well-known newspapers, but recently, it has come under the limelight for all the wrong reasons. The Brits are questioning its validity after sensing an obvious bias against the UK following the Queen’s death.
Is the British being thin-skinned or is the NYT harboring some vendetta against the UK?
We’ll let you decide for yourself.
The New York Times Bias
For ages, we’ve all (well, most of us, anyway) considered that the New York Times is one of the leading media organizations. It is known all over the world, so this extremist stance heralding it as the worst of the lot may be exaggerated.
But over time, some journalists are beginning to understand why it may not be the best, if not the worst. The pages of the NYT are penned with great writing, no doubt, but marred with that unmistakable sanctimonious drivel.
The NYT is directly competing with The Guardian, which has a softer stance on Britain. Instead of competing, it appears that the NYT is trying to appeal to the Britons in the UK who hate it.
Journalists understand the sanctity of free speech, but respect towards the people, especially given that it has a large market in the UK, is essential. However, the NYT continues to adopt an aggressive, extremely critical take on the UK with pieces like ‘Dystopian UK is doomed’ and ‘Britain is miserable, but the Britons are fighting back.’
The New York Times’s hostility towards the UK became evident shortly after HM Queen Elizabeth II’s death. While the US president ordered the US flags to be at half-mast in mourning, the country’s media powerhouse ran a much controversial article named “Mourn the Queen, Not Her Empire.” It quotes Prof. Maya Jasanoff strongly criticizing the British legacy of bloody colonialism. While the subject may have differing opinions, the article’s timing published by the New York Times is severely criticized.
The Other Side of the Story
This criticism has been shot down on many occasions. Nicole Taylor, the managing director of the publication, explains the NYT’s in-depth journalism. She puts stress on the importance of providing varying perspectives to readers, adding that it’s what the newspaper is doing.
She also highlights several pieces that acknowledge Britain’s achievements, including its leadership during COVID, its take on climate change, and its stance on Ukraine.
That being said, there is no denying that the grim pieces significantly outnumber the positive ones, but can you blame someone for questioning Brexit?
Final Word
Newspapers and media houses always come under fire for adopting a biased stance. While impartial journalism is at the heart of media, you cannot expect the writers to separate their opinion from their writing. The New York Times has garnered significant criticism for its harsh stance on the UK, but that has hardly made any negative difference to its readership, even outside the US.