VOICED®

Every Voice Matters®

Get VOICED
Log in
VOICED
EVERY VOICE MATTERS
  • Home
  • Topics
    • VOICED Policy
    • VOICED Mind & Body
    • VOICED Men
    • VOICED Women
    • VOICED Humor
    • VOICED Him & Her
    • VOICED News
    • VOICED College
    • VOICED Animals
    • VOICED Artificial intelligence
    • VOICED Arts
    • VOICED Auto
    • VOICED Blockchain
    • VOICED Books
    • VOICED Business
    • VOICED Cryptocurrency
    • VOICED Eats
    • VOICED Entertainment
    • VOICED Environment
    • VOICED Gaming
    • VOICED Marketing
    • VOICED Money
    • VOICED Motivation
    • VOICED Philosophy
    • VOICED Psychology
    • VOICED Real estate
    • VOICED Religion
    • VOICED Science
    • VOICED Society
    • VOICED Spirituality
    • VOICED Sports
    • VOICED Style
    • VOICED Technology
    • VOICED Travel
    • VOICED Work
    • VOICED World
  • Topics
    • VOICED Policy
    • VOICED Mind & Body
    • VOICED Men
    • VOICED Women
    • VOICED Humor
    • VOICED Him & Her
    • VOICED News
    • VOICED College
    • VOICED Animals
    • VOICED Artificial intelligence
    • VOICED Arts
    • VOICED Auto
    • VOICED Blockchain
    • VOICED Books
    • VOICED Business
    • VOICED Cryptocurrency
    • VOICED Eats
    • VOICED Entertainment
    • VOICED Environment
    • VOICED Gaming
    • VOICED Marketing
    • VOICED Money
    • VOICED Motivation
    • VOICED Philosophy
    • VOICED Psychology
    • VOICED Real estate
    • VOICED Religion
    • VOICED Science
    • VOICED Society
    • VOICED Spirituality
    • VOICED Sports
    • VOICED Style
    • VOICED Technology
    • VOICED Travel
    • VOICED Work
    • VOICED World
  •  
Get VOICED

Liked By

Get VOICED

Create an account to join the conversion.

You'll be able to publish your own stories, follow your favorite people, create a better news feed experience and comment on content you love.

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook Sign up with Email
Already have an account? Sign in.
Terms of Service

Log in

You know what to do.
Forgot password?
OR
Log in with Google Log in with Facebook
No account? Sign up.
Terms of Service
  • Followers
  • Following
Screenshot via NY Times

Don't Cancel Your New York Times Subscription Just Yet

  
matthew condon
May. 11, 2018
Follow
Share tweet pinterest reddit email
Shares
Screenshot via NY Times

On April 28, the newest member of the New York Times Op/Ed section, Bret Stephens, wrote a column about the dangers of certitude in the realm of climate change. Though compelling, the column left something to be desired when it came to logical reasoning and conveyed a lack of consistency in that logic. The column also warned of being absolutely certain of the data of climate change, climate science and climate scientists.

On April 29, Democrats, eco-friendly celebrities and environmental activists across the country publicly shamed the NYT — mostly via social media — and claimed they were cancelling their subscriptions while encouraging others to do the same.

Stephens, a 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner, was recently hired on to the NYT staff in order to appeal to a larger demographic, namely Republicans and right-leaning moderates. Long accused of being liberally biased, the NYT, along with most traditional news outlets across the country, has sought to reverse — or, at the very least, slow — the trend of declining print subscriptions and the subsequent loss in ad revenue. To both combat declining sales and a biased reputation, the NYT logically assumed hiring a conservative columnist with a Pulitzer on their resume might appeal to readers outside their base.

Though there are numerous problems with Stephens’ column, particularly the comparison of climate science to political science and polling, the bigger issue is not the column itself but the reaction to it. The immediate and emotionally-charged call to boycott the NYT was a petty and immature reaction. Cancelling a newspaper subscription because you disagree with one column is akin to walking away mid-argument with your spouse and threatening to end the relationship.

Essentially, it’s an attempt to force your media outlet of choice to publish what you want to read with the facts and opinions you want to read. The credibility of the media has long been in question with the foundation of cable news, whose sole concern is the bottom line. Cancelling subscriptions because you don’t agree with what’s published undermines that credibility, especially when news directors and editors cave to the monetary pressure of mass cancellations. It becomes counterproductive and destroys civil debate.

The media, as much as we may satirize and demonize it, is essential to the democratic process and to ensuring a transparent government. It’s an added check and balance on the federal and state politicians across the country. There’s a difference between holding the media accountable and holding them hostage. By cancelling subscriptions and threatening to damage their credibility even further, we are holding them hostage and destroying the objectivity we so desperately need from journalists.

While I will agree hiring the likes of Bret Stephens — an avid climate change skeptic and sensationalist commentator — was not the best choice for the NYT, particularly in the age of alternative facts and outright lies from the current administration, I will also agree that Stephens’ column endangers the credibility of scientists which in turn damages the education system.

Where I draw the line, however, is in walking away from the debate and choosing to destabilize what may be the most important de facto branch of government. The media earns credibility through the honest and objective reporting of the news and the people return that credibility by participating in the debate and showing civility to those with whom they disagree.

Instead of cancelling subscriptions or boycotting the NYT, we should instead write letters and emails to the editors of the NYT. We should implore credible and well-known scientists to refute the claims of Mr. Stephens, both in the NYT and through social media. In short, we should find a better way to disagree with Brett Stephens and the decision of the NYT editorial board to hire him in the first place. Cancelling subscriptions and boycotting one of the oldest and most credible news sources in the country is immature and counterproductive.

  
matthew condon
May. 11, 2018

Comments

Comment has been published successfully..!!
From VOICEDMARKET
What’s this?

What is this?

Voiced Market offers exclusive deals on products and services from brands big and small. Customers can find their favorite items and get introduced to new ones, all at a fraction of the normal retail price. Voiced Market believes in giving brands of all sizes an equal opportunity, and also cares about giving back, devoting a percentage of its profits to help educate and feed those in need. Have a product or service you'd like to sell? Contact us at [email protected]

Up To 94% Off Custom Canvas Prints From Photo.Gifts
View Deal
$36.00$1.9994% OFF
Personalized Cushion Covers From Photo.Gifts (Up To 90% Off)
View Deal
$34.99$4.9986% OFF
Social Proof Your Website With ProveSource (3 Months For The Price Of 1)
View Deal
$57.00$19.0067% OFF
Show more deals

Popular on VOICED

What you do is more important than what you say


  
Voiced Administrator
19 Sep Read more

The 21 Best Strategies For Withdrawing From The Internet


  
sarah alender
11 May Read more

32 Quotes That Will Inspire Food Lovers


  
sarah alender
11 May Read more

17 Reasons Why There’s Nothing Like A California Girl


  
chuck henderson
11 May Read more

18 Things Men Say That Will Keep A Woman Away Forever


  
sarah presley
11 May Read more

7 Steps To Conquering Cold Feet Before Your Wedding


  
allison renner
11 May Read more

14 Signs She Really Loves You


  
chuck henderson
11 May Read more

12 Things You Should Never Do Before You Meet Him


  
chuck henderson
11 May Read more

5 Ways You’re Ruining Your Life And Not Even Realizing It


  
sam rogers
11 May Read more

VOICED®

Every Voice Matters®

Menu
  • About
  • Sign Up
  •  
  • Code of Conduct
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Interact with us

Interact with us

© 2016-2021 Voiced Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.