At 3:00 PM -0400 4/6/05, OpinionJournal wrote: >Wild and Crazy Old Gray Lady >http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/06/pageoneplus/06corrections.html > >This "Editor's Note" appears in today's New York Times: > >*** QUOTE *** > >A front-page article on Thursday described a report by a committee at >Columbia University formed to investigate complaints that pro-Israel >Jewish students were harassed by pro-Palestinian professors. The report >found "no evidence of any statements made by the faculty that could >reasonably be construed as anti-Semitic," but it did say that one >professor "exceeded commonly accepted bounds" of behavior when he became >angry at a student who he believed was defending Israel's conduct toward >Palestinians. > >The article did not disclose The Times's source for the document, but >Columbia officials have since confirmed publicly that they provided it, a >day before its formal release, on the condition that the writer not seek >reaction from other interested parties. > >Under The Times's policy on unidentified sources, writers are not >permitted to forgo follow-up reporting in exchange for information. In >this case, editors and the writer did not recall the policy and agreed to >delay additional reporting until the document had become public. The Times >insisted, however, on getting a response from the professor accused of >unacceptable behavior, and Columbia agreed. . . . > >Without a response from the complainants, the article was incomplete; it >should not have appeared in that form. The response was included in an >article on Friday. > >*** END QUOTE *** > >We guess we can imagine that the editors and writers "did not recall" that >the Times has a specific policy against agreeing "to forgo follow-up >reporting." But isn't such reporting an obvious and essential ethical >obligation of a news reporter? It reminds us of that old Steve Martin >http://snltranscripts.jt.org/77/77imono.phtml routine: > >*** QUOTE *** > >You can be a millionaire, and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire, >and never pay taxes! You say, "Steve, how can I be a millionaire.. and >never pay taxes?" First, get a million dollars. Now, you say, "Steve, what >do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, 'You have never >paid taxes'?" Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: >"I forgot!" > >How many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because we >don't say "I forgot"? Let's say you're on trial for armed robbery. You say >to the judge, "I forgot armed robbery was illegal." Let's suppose he says >back to you, "You have committed a foul crime. you have stolen hundreds >and thousands of dollars from people at random, and you say, 'I forgot'?" >Two simple words: Excuuuuuse me!!" > >*** END QUOTE *** > >Better make that last one "Eeeeeditor's note!!"
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