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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 24, 2023

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If he, as an individual, wants to try and get something done, he has more money to try it with.

If he as an individual wants to change anything political, the New York Times editor has a lot more ability to do it even if he has a smaller salary.

Well, I doubt that.

The editors aren't there of their own accord, even the chief editor isn't there on his own behalf. They're people doing jobs. Of course any of them could go rogue and maybe manage to get something published once or twice, but they would be swiftly removed from their positions. If their loyalty was in question they wouldn't have been hired in the first place.

The owners could reposition the paper, but then again, no one doubts that the Sulzbergers are anything but elite.

I'd suggest that the editors have discretion within a big range. We all know about Cade Metz' hit piece on Scott. I doubt that the owner said "Go do a hit piece on Scott". He did it on his own, having permission to do anything within the broad category "calling people Nazis and favoring the left".

It's true that he couldn't write any story whatsoever; I'm sure a pro-Trump story would get him fired. But being an editor at the Times gave him a huge amount of power. There's no way a car dealer could do that.