Should The New York Times Be a Truth Vigilante?

New York Times public editor Arthur S. Brisbane:

I’m looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge “facts” that are asserted by newsmakers they write about.

That The Times, along with all other major US newspapers, doesn’t already do this is probably a surprise to most readers — those who haven’t really thought about how modern journalism works.

I’m glad to see Brisbane writing about this in public. But to me, once you spell it out as Brisbane has here, the answer is obvious: of course The Times should do this.

★ Thursday, 12 January 2012