Hard News (41 page)

Howell Raines’s bio
Maureen Dowd. “Howell.” In
Times Talk.
Internal Newsletter. September 2001.

I filed a piece detailing
Seth Mnookin. “A Week to Remember in Memphis.” Newsweek.com Web Exclusive. May 6, 2003.

My “nut graf”
Mnookin et al., “Times Bomb.”

Blair agreed to speak
Sridhar Pappu. “ ‘So Jayson Blair Could Live, The Journalist Had to Die.’ ”
The New York Observer
. May 26, 2003. p. 1.

Howell Raines sent out a memo
Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd. “A note from Howell and Gerald.” E-mail message. May 20, 2003. 5:30:24 p.m.

“silo management”
Raines, “My Times.”

And he had told Ken Auletta
Auletta, “The Howell Doctrine.”

The story, published on the front
Rick Bragg. “An Oyster and a Way of Life, Both at Risk.”
The New York Times
. June 15, 2002. p. A1.

One infamous story
Rick Bragg. “Small Alabama Newspaper Prevails in Crusade to Expose Corrupt Sheriff.”
The New York Times
. June 1, 1998. p. A10.

the fact that only two
Rick Bragg. “The Era of Showgirls Is Leaving Las Vegas.”
The New York Times
. March 22, 2001. p. A1.

On Monday, he gave an interview
Howard Kurtz. “Suspended N.Y. Times Reporter Says He’ll Quit; Rick Bragg Decries ‘Poisonous Atmosphere.’ ”
The Washington Post
. May 27, 2003. p. C1.

Kurtz had been at
Kurtz to author.

Peter Kilborn
Seth Mnookin. “Firestorm in the Newsroom: The Times’s National Staff Defends Their Reporting Methods.” Newsweek.com Web Exclusive. May 28, 2003.

“I was really offended”
Kilborn to author.

David Firestone, who had been
David Firestone. “NYT National Desk Isn’t Built on Stringers.” Online Posting. Poynter Online—Forums. “Letters Sent to Romenesko.” May 28, 2003. 1:59:33 p.m. Available at
www.poynter.org/forum/default.asp?id=letters
.

Jennifer Steinhauer, wrote
Jennifer Steinhauer. “This NYT-er Won’t Let Bragg’s Claims Go Unchecked.” Online Posting. Poynter Online—Forums. “Letters Sent to Romenesko.” May 28, 2003. 4:54:18 p.m. Available at
www.poynter.org/forum/default.asp?id=letters
.

Alex Berenson, the reporter
Alex Berenson. “Not Everyone Does It ‘the Bragg Way.’ ” Online Posting. Poynter Online—Forums. “Letters Sent to Romenesko.” May 28, 2003. 5:17:37 p.m. Available at
www.poynter.org/forum/default.asp?id=letters
.

sent out a three-sentence message
Howell Raines. “A Message to the Staff.” E-mail message. May 28, 2003. 7:32:34 p.m.

sent out a longer message to the staff
Rosemary Shields for Howell Raines. “A note from Howell and Gerald.” E-mail message. May 29, 2003. 11:47:40 a.m.

“He said he was afraid”
Behr to author.

“I would also like to add”
Rena Pederson. “Remarks at Pulitzer Prize Luncheon.” May 29, 2003. Available at
www.pulitzer.org/resources/pederson_speech.htm
.

Safire began his talk
William Safire. “Remarks at Pulitzer Prize Luncheon.” May 29, 2003. Available at
http://www.pulitzer.org/resources/safire_speech.htm
.

“happy place”
Author interview.

Earlier that week, Abramson
Abramson to author.

“I knew there was a chance”
Steinberg to author.

“I tried to get a range”
Norris to author.

“We were all confused”
Haberman to author.

“Howell kept promising”
Siegal to author.

he flew to Washington
Cohen and Rose, “Amid Turmoil, Top Editors Resign at New York Times.”

“Even I was taken back”
Abramson, Boccardi, Rosenthal, and Behr to author.

“Gerald feels that Howell”
Behr to author.

On the third-floor newsroom
Seth Mnookin. “A Sorry Sight.” Newsweek.com Web Exclusive. June 4, 2003.

I received an e-mail
“nyt nyt.” E-mail message to author. June 4, 2003. 3:54 p.m.

New Endings, Old Beginnings

At 10:30, an e-mail without a subject line
E-mail message to
New York Times
newsroom. 10:30:36 a.m.

“I want to talk with you,”
Seth Mnookin. “Read All About It.”
Newsweek
. June 16, 2003. p. 34.

“It’s been a tumultuous”
Jacques Steinberg. “Times’s 2 Top Editors Resign After Furor on Writer’s Fraud.”
The New York Times
. June 6, 2003. p. A1.

“I set out many years ago”
Paul D. Colford et al. “Times Is Paper of Wreckage.” New York
Daily News
. June 6, 2003.

grabbed his panama hat
Author interviews.

“I didn’t realize”
Transcribed in newsroom for author.

“
When Joe spoke that first morning”
Haberman to author.

“This is a newsroom”
Mnookin, “Read All About It.” p. 35.

“The atmosphere of the place”
Wilkins to author.

“We had the entire operation”
Tifft and Jones,
The Trust,
p. 568.

soon coalesced around three candidates
Mnookin, “A Sorry Sight.”

In 2001, the
Herald
won
Available at
www.knightridder.com/papers/pulitzer/pulitzer_year.htm
.

In 2003, the
Globe
won
Available at
bostonglobe.com/newsroom/awards/pulitzers.stm
.

was seen outside the Times building
Keith J. Kelly. “Boston Globe’s Baron at Times as Contest for Editor Heats Up.”
New York Post
. July 10, 2003. p. 35.

New York’s
Daily News
reported
Paul D. Colford. “Times Wish-List May Be One Short.” New York
Daily News
. June 20, 2003. p. 70.

asked for time to appear
Howard Kurtz. “Raines Says He Was Asked to Resign at N.Y. Times.”
The Washington Post
. July 12, 2003. p. C1.

great artists who achieved
Joe Hagan. “Raines Talk Show Is Deconstructed by Times Staff.”
The New York Observer
. July 21, 2003. p. 1.

Once again, Jacques Steinberg
Jacques Steinberg. “Bill Keller, Columnist, Is Selected as The Times’s Executive Editor.”
The New York Times
. July 15, 2003. p. A1.

one of his first interviews
Seth Mnookin. “ ‘Let’s Move On.’ ” Newsweek.com Web Exclusive. July 16, 2003.

“Doing a lot of college football”
Landman to author.

Part Three

AFTER

“All About Howell”

“When he was here”
Kramon to author.

“We are not the first” The Charlie Rose Show,
April 14, 1994.

“In the newspaper world”
Simon Dumenco. “The Birth of Frankenblair,”
Folio:.
July 17, 2003. p. 7.

“The
Times
was too big”
Turner Catledge.
My Life and
The Times
.
New York: Harper & Row, 1971. pp. 187–88.

“You cannot perform quality journalism” The Charlie Rose Show,
August 6, 2002.

“Everybody felt under siege”
Wilkins to author.

A New Team in Place

Bill Keller, who became
Steinberg. “Bill Keller, Columnist, Is Selected as The Times’s Executive Editor.”

“What I expected”
Keller to author.

appointed Jill Abramson and John Geddes
Jacques Steinberg. “2 Are Appointed at The Times to Managing Editor Positions.”
The New York Times
. August 1, 2003. p. A18.

He promoted Jon Landman
“Times Names Metropolitan Chief as Assistant Managing Editor.”
The New York Times
. September 26, 2003. p. A18.

named Susan Edgerley
“The New York Times Chooses New Editor for the Metro Section.”
The New York Times
. October 17, 2003. p. B3.

Glenn Kramon was appointed
“New Appointments for 2 Editors at Times.”
The New York Times
. October 29, 2003. p. A16.

lured Larry Ingrassia away
“Business Editor Is Appointed by the Times.”
The New York Times
. January 15, 2004. p. C2.

Roger Cohen stepped down
“Times Names Susan Chira Foreign Editor.”
The New York Times
. January 14, 2004. p. A8.

Adam Moss agreed to take the lead
“Times Names Editor to New Post for Features.”
The New York Times
. August 6, 2003. p. A15.

succeeded at the magazine by his deputy
“The Times Names New Editor of Magazine.”
The New York Times
. September 3, 2003. p. A15.

Chip McGrath stepped down
“Times Appoints Editor for Book Review.”
The New York Times
. March 11, 2004. p. E7.

Keller persuaded
Fortune
’s Michele McNally
“The Times Appoints Photography Director.”
The New York Times
. April 29, 2004. p. A23.

promoted Philip Taubman
David Carr. “The Times Names a New Chief of Its Bureau in Washington.”
The New York Times
. August 7, 2003. p. A5.

lured Rick Flaste
Tom McGeveran. “After Moss Departure, Times Starting Over on Book Review Boss.”
The New York Observer
. March 1, 2004. p. 1.

“We knew the culture report”
Rich to author.

the
Los Angeles Times
was faced with forced layoffs
“Los Angeles Times Cuts About 160 Jobs.”
Los Angeles Times.
June 22, 2004. p. C2.

Keller made four prominent hires
Nikke Finke. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers Part
Deux.
”
LA Weekly.
Web Exclusive Update. July 2, 2004.

“I do think Arthur”
Keller to author.

left the
Times
to edit
New York
magazine
David Carr. “New York Magazine Names an Editor from The Times.”
The New York Times
. February 12, 2004. p. C14.

roiled by a series of petty
See, for example, Sridhar Pappu. “Times Stars Spar: Reporters Rock Baghdad Bureau.”
The New York Observer
. January 19, 2004. p. 1.

Keller gave an interview
Margo Hammond and Ellen Heltzel. “The Plot Thickens at the New York Times Book Review.” Online Posting. Poynter Online—Book Babes. January 21, 2004. Available at
www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=57&aid=59576
.

forcing him to publicly clarify
See, for example, Paul Harris. “ ‘Betrayal’ by Literary Bible.”
The Observer
(London). February 8, 2004. p. 20.

Keller, staffers grumbled
Author interviews.

can’t comment on future assignments
Glater to author.

“One of the great things”
Barstow to author.

came up with recommendations
“Siegal Committee Report.”

“The most important character quality” The Charlie Rose Show,
April 14, 1994.

“When I became foreign editor”
Keller to author.

“create a newsroom culture”
“Siegal Committee Report.” p. 4.

All three positions had been filled
Jacques Steinberg. “The Times Chooses Veteran of Magazines and Publishing as Its First Public Editor.”
The New York Times
. October 27, 2003. p. A19. Also, Jacques Steinberg. “Times Names First Editor for Standards.”
The New York Times.
September 10, 2003. p. A20.

a memo Kramon sent
Glenn Kramon to newsroom. “Career Development Update.” March 11, 2004. 6:30 p.m.

“This can be a big, scary”
Kramon to author.

“This was another of our periodic”
Perl to author.

The New Republic
’s Stephen Glass
Ann Reilly Dowd. “The Great Pretender.”
Columbia Journalism Review
. July–August 1998. Available at
http://archives.cjr.org/year/98/4/glass.asp
. Also, Buzz Bissinger. “Shattered Glass.”
Vanity Fair
. September 1998. pp. 176–190. Also, Editors’ Note.
The New Republic
. June 1, 1998. Also, Howard Kurtz. “Stranger Than Fiction: The Cautionary Tale of Magazine Writer Stephen Glass.” p. 8.
The Washington Post
. May 13, 1998. p. A1.

the
Times
’s own Blood Brothers dispatch
Griffin. “Anti-White Harlem Gang Reported to Number 400.” Also, Griffin, “N.A.A.C.P. Assails Reports of Gang.”

former
USA Today
reporter
Blake Morrison. “USA Today Reporter Resigns After Deception.”
USA Today
. January 13, 2004. p. 5A.

USA Today
announced
Peter Johnson. “USA Today to Review All of Reporter’s Work.”
USA Today
. January 16, 2004. p. 3A.

the paper published an interim report
Blake Morrison. “Ex–USA Today Reporter Faked Major Stories.”
USA Today
. March 19, 2004. p. 1A.

three of the paper’s top editors
David Folkenflik. “USA Today’s Culture Aided Reporter’s Deception, Panel Finds; 2 More Top Editors Resign After Plagiarism Scandal.” Baltimore
Sun
. April 23, 2004. p. A1.

both of the country’s leading newsweeklies
Liza Featherstone. “Chucking the Checkers.”
Columbia Journalism Review
. July–August 1997. Available at
http://archives.cjr.org/year/97/4/checkers.asp
.

“God is not going to stop”
Nicholas Lemann. “The Wayward Press.”
The New Yorker
. March 15, 2004. p. 136.

In March 2004, a single paper
David House. “Yanking Up the Weeds of Journalism.” Fort Worth
Star-Telegram
. March 28, 2004. p. 1E.

“The whole notion”
Brill to author.

“The consensus here, post Blair”
Arthur Sulzberger. “Re: Final Question.” E-mail message to author. June 4, 2004. 1:51 p.m.