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Friday Mailbag: A Surprising Advertisement and Some Missing Fathers Friday Mailbag: A Surprising Advertisement and Some Missing Fathers
(about 2 hours later)
On Thursday the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, said that carbon dioxide was not a primary contributor to global warming. That statement was at odds with the global scientific consensus on climate change — and with Pruitt’s own agency. But readers wouldn’t be wrong to think that he came to this conclusion by way of The Times.On Thursday the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, said that carbon dioxide was not a primary contributor to global warming. That statement was at odds with the global scientific consensus on climate change — and with Pruitt’s own agency. But readers wouldn’t be wrong to think that he came to this conclusion by way of The Times.
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, the print version of the paper published a full-page advertisement in its Science Times section arguing that “there is no correlation between the cause of global warming and the increase of carbon dioxide emission.” The ad, paid for by Samsung Chemical Coating Co., Ltd., was even addressed to “the US government and Scott Pruitt administrator of US Environmental Protection Agency.”Two days earlier, on Tuesday, the print version of the paper published a full-page advertisement in its Science Times section arguing that “there is no correlation between the cause of global warming and the increase of carbon dioxide emission.” The ad, paid for by Samsung Chemical Coating Co., Ltd., was even addressed to “the US government and Scott Pruitt administrator of US Environmental Protection Agency.”
A number of readers took issue with The Times’s decision to run the ad.A number of readers took issue with The Times’s decision to run the ad.
We went to Steph Jespersen, the director of The Times’s advertising accessibility department, for a response. We went to Steph Jespersen, the director of The Times’s advertising acceptability department, for a response.
The public editor’s take: The Times’s policy with regard to when it accepts advocacy advertising strikes me as standard in the newspaper industry and also reasonable. If the material is clearly marked and looks like an ad, I say it’s a little extra cash for depleted print coffers.The public editor’s take: The Times’s policy with regard to when it accepts advocacy advertising strikes me as standard in the newspaper industry and also reasonable. If the material is clearly marked and looks like an ad, I say it’s a little extra cash for depleted print coffers.
Letters from print readers also piled up this week on the changes to pages A2 and A3, which debuted a major overhaul last Thursday. Readers complained about everything from the disappearance of the news summaries to the absence of corrections (they’re farther back in the section now), to the prominence of the masthead.Letters from print readers also piled up this week on the changes to pages A2 and A3, which debuted a major overhaul last Thursday. Readers complained about everything from the disappearance of the news summaries to the absence of corrections (they’re farther back in the section now), to the prominence of the masthead.
Editors here explained the overhaul when the changes were made.Editors here explained the overhaul when the changes were made.
On the exclusion of the corrections, one reader wrote:On the exclusion of the corrections, one reader wrote:
We asked Tom Jolly, an associate masthead editor who helped lead the overhaul of these pages, to address the changes.We asked Tom Jolly, an associate masthead editor who helped lead the overhaul of these pages, to address the changes.
The public editor’s take: It’s clear that a lot of thought and design work went into these two pages; I’m curious to see how readers respond in coming weeks. I agree with this reader that displaying corrections in prominent fashion is a long and admirable tradition. It demonstrates The Times’s transparency when mistakes are made — all mistakes, but especially large ones. Readers shouldn’t have to dig to find them.The public editor’s take: It’s clear that a lot of thought and design work went into these two pages; I’m curious to see how readers respond in coming weeks. I agree with this reader that displaying corrections in prominent fashion is a long and admirable tradition. It demonstrates The Times’s transparency when mistakes are made — all mistakes, but especially large ones. Readers shouldn’t have to dig to find them.
Robert Osborne, the host of Turner Classic Movies, died on Monday, and his obituary in The Times noted that David Staller, “a longtime friend,” had confirmed the death.Robert Osborne, the host of Turner Classic Movies, died on Monday, and his obituary in The Times noted that David Staller, “a longtime friend,” had confirmed the death.
Several readers who wrote in were perplexed by The Times’s description of Staller.Several readers who wrote in were perplexed by The Times’s description of Staller.
We asked the writer of the obituary, Richard Sandomir, about the decision, and he said, “I reached out to David Staller and ultimately ‘close friend’ was how he said he wanted to be identified.”We asked the writer of the obituary, Richard Sandomir, about the decision, and he said, “I reached out to David Staller and ultimately ‘close friend’ was how he said he wanted to be identified.”
The public editor’s take: Looks like the obituary desk called it right.The public editor’s take: Looks like the obituary desk called it right.
On Tuesday, WikiLeaks released what appeared to be the largest leak of C.I.A. documents in history describing the agency’s tools and techniques for breaking into computers, smartphones and even Internet-connected televisions.On Tuesday, WikiLeaks released what appeared to be the largest leak of C.I.A. documents in history describing the agency’s tools and techniques for breaking into computers, smartphones and even Internet-connected televisions.
A few readers were displeased with the decision to run a story on a WikiLeaks release.A few readers were displeased with the decision to run a story on a WikiLeaks release.
We asked The Times’s managing editor, Joseph Kahn, to comment on the decision.We asked The Times’s managing editor, Joseph Kahn, to comment on the decision.
The public editor’s take: I’m with the editors. As long as care is taken, the public good often outweighs the risk.The public editor’s take: I’m with the editors. As long as care is taken, the public good often outweighs the risk.
Finally, one reader took offence at a sentence in a column about President Trump’s first budget proposal — which, the author argued, reflected working-class resentment of the poor. The sentence? “It is not surprising that harried working mothers resent that 30 percent of low-income families using center-based child care receive some form of subsidy while middle-income families get next to nothing.” The reader wrote:Finally, one reader took offence at a sentence in a column about President Trump’s first budget proposal — which, the author argued, reflected working-class resentment of the poor. The sentence? “It is not surprising that harried working mothers resent that 30 percent of low-income families using center-based child care receive some form of subsidy while middle-income families get next to nothing.” The reader wrote:
We took the complaint to the author of the column, Eduardo Porter.We took the complaint to the author of the column, Eduardo Porter.
Sounds like we’re all in agreement. And as the column does refer to fathers, it would seem fair to describe them as “harried,” too. Right now, that word seems to attach itself more to mothers in The Times’s pages.Sounds like we’re all in agreement. And as the column does refer to fathers, it would seem fair to describe them as “harried,” too. Right now, that word seems to attach itself more to mothers in The Times’s pages.
On that note, we hope all harried fathers and mothers get some rest this weekend.On that note, we hope all harried fathers and mothers get some rest this weekend.