The NY Times Admits Bad-news Bias

Hallelujah! A major newspaper’s moment of grace

Last week, I wrote an article about the NY Times describing the difference between Republican and Democrat perceptions of Covid-19 with no seeming awareness for the media’s contribution to this disparity.

How could the Times not see how partisan profiteering by the media affects society? And not just in terms of Covid-19, but basically every other critical issue we face?

I sat on that article for a few days, waiting to see if the Apeiron Blog would publish it. In the meantime I wrote about what it’s like being accused of “bothsidesism,” particularly after I write anything that implicates both right-leaning and left-leaning media.

Then, today, “The Morning” shows up in my inbox, and says this:

“(A) new study — which the National Bureau of Economic Research has published as a working paper, titled, “Why is all Covid-19 news bad news?” — calls for some self-reflection from those of us in the media.”

Self-reflection! Outstanding!

“If we’re constantly telling a negative story,” Times writer David Leonhardt continues, “we are not giving our audience the most accurate portrait of reality.”

Someone please pick my jaw up off the floor.