What Are They Consuming At The Times?

Before and after

FKA Twitter exploded on Friday after another of those inexplicable New York Times headlines for which the paper has become known of late. The digital din was such that editors have since altered it.

Here’s the before:

And now the after:

James Fallows responded:

Imagine Tocqueville-style visitor to US of 2024 who travels around the country and concludes, “This is a nation consumed by war.”

—In comparison w times that *was* true: eg 1968 (and 1964-1975), 2001-2005 (and onward), Nov 1962, Feb 1991 (Gulf War), etc. Not to mention 1940s, early 1950s, etc.

—In comparison to what dominates airwaves + news cycles + campaign speeches: Immigration, inflation, abortion, voting and justice systems, “culture wars” + DEI, future of both parties, climate, taxes, etc.

This era’s wars are of profound importance. But “nation consumed”? (As so often the case, hed oversells the actual story. But headlines are all that most people ever see.)

David Simon, producer of The Wire (2002–08):

Ukraine is a nation consumed by war; Russia as well to a very real extent. Gaza is consumed by war; Israel to a real extent is consumed by war.

The New York Times, once a newspaper of record, is consumed by journalistic malpractice and malfeasance.

The article by Michael Crowley quotes Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace saying, “although the United States is not directly involved in the wars in Ukraine or Gaza, the risks of large-scale conflict have become higher.”

The rest of the article suggests that war has defined the Biden presidency and that a “wartime mood” pervades Washington. That’s not a sense one gets from watching any coverage. Is the world more unstable? Surely. Are Americans consumed by it? Their attention is more fixed upon the economy, health care, and immigration. And on the fate of democracy.

Fear is the fuel upon which GOP election-year hopes depends. The joy erupting among Democrats over the Harris-Walz campaign is loudly dousing it. Perhaps the Times with its “consumed by war” framing felt the need to tip the playing field back in Donald Trump’s direction.

But Trump considers the press the “enemy of the people.” That includes the Times. Should Trump win in November, placating him won’t save them from what comes next.

Reflecting on the Times headline, Brian Beutler tweeted:

A lot going on over there, but one subtle contributing factor is that in a professional culture where critical thinking is discouraged (don’t form opinions on issues, etc) analytical muscles atrophy, and these reported takes come out braindead.

One X user speculated that Rupert Murdoch was preparing to buy the newspaper of record.

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