Conservatives don't like to admit it but The New York Times matters.
The newspaper serves millions of readers and influences the reporting of other
newspapers and television networks. Even scandals like those involving Jayson
Blair and Rick Bragg -- while diminishing some of the newspaper's luster --
will do little to harm its long-term prospects. As the National Review pointed
out in a column, The
New York Times "is fated to become bigger, richer, and worse."
Given that importance, it's vital that the newspaper's agenda be exposed for
what it really is. The New York Times is less about reporting than
it is about promoting anti-American left-wing politics. That left-wing agenda
has only become more pronounced under Howell Raines.
Enter Times Watch, a web site operated by Media Research Center. MRC hopes that the web site compels "paper to provide balanced reporting, or risk forfeiting its standing as the 'newspaper of record.'" It's manner of doing this is rather simple but very effective. The staff at the web site merely read through the newspaper every day and post examples of blatant bias and errors.
It's difficult to compel a course change for an entity as powerful as The New York Times and whether Times Watch will be successful is only something that time will be able to tell. That said, it's a web site that's doing some very important work.
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