New York: The New York Times’ (NYT) editorial page editor James Bennet has resigned. James Bennet put in his papers due to a controversial op-ed written by Republican Senator Tom Cotton published last week. The op-ed piece received widespread criticism, according to the paper.
Reason for resignation
An article published Sunday night on NYT’s website, publisher AG Sulzberger said he and Bennet both agreed to one fact. We ‘concluded that James would not be able to lead the team through the next leg of change required’.
Use of military
The piece by Republican Senator Tom Cotton was titled ‘Send In the Troops’. Cotton advocated the deployment of the military across the US to help respond to violence and chaos. The violence and chaos erupted in protests over George Floyd’s death.
Widespread criticism
The op-ed was met with widespread criticism that it put African-Americans in danger. Many believe the presence of military force would lead to an escalation of tensions. Its publication has also prompted criticism within the NYT. Over 800 staff members signed a letter of protest to senior editors and the company’s executives. They argued that Cotton’s article contains misinformation, especially for his depiction of ‘antifa’.
June 5, a lengthy note was added to the op-ed on the NYT’s website. It said, ‘the essay fell short of our standards and should not have been published’.
“For example, the published piece presents as facts assertions about the role of ‘cadres of left-wing radicals like ‘antifa’,” the note said. In fact, those allegations have not been substantiated and have been widely questioned,” it added.
It also said the tone of the op-ed is ‘needlessly harsh and falls short of the thoughtful approach that advances useful debate’.
Apology for op-ed
Bennet said in a staff meeting June 5 that he had not read the essay before it was published, and apologised for the op-ed. His deputy, James Dao, is being reassigned to the paper’s newsroom.
Cotton’s view
Cotton re-tweeted Sunday a NYT article on Bennet’s resignation, commenting it was ‘false and offensive’. “I called for using military force as a backup-only if police are overwhelmed to stop riots. Military was not to be used against protesters,” he argued in the tweet.
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