Former NYT editor dismisses Bari Weiss’ bias allegations


Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson told Fox News on Wednesday that “the idea of ​​The New York Times being edited by a clique of leftist journalists is simply not true,” responding to bias claims by left and harassment by conservatives. former columnist Bari Weiss.

The comments from Abramson, who was fired by the Times in 2014, comes a day after Weiss posted a resignation letter on his website, alleging a “hostile work environment” by other staff members due to his conservative opinions.

Weiss also alleged that publishers were reluctant to go “against the current” with pieces that could provoke a backlash on social media.

But Abramson rejected that claim, saying the resignation of a “junior-level opinion editor” did not “spell crisis” for the Times. He also rejected Weiss’s claims of bias.

“The idea of ​​The New York Times being edited by a clique of leftist journalists is simply not true at all,” said Abramson.

“Most opinion columnists in the Times are centrists. They are central to liberals,” he later argued.

“I am sorry you had a difficult time,” Abramson said of Weiss, saying that the Times and other organizations should never allow any form of intimidation. “But … Bari Weiss is someone [who] He has thousands of followers on Twitter. She’s been there on Twitter, throwing a few punches at people she doesn’t agree with. “

“I’m not saying she’s an abuser, but, you know, if you’re going to hand her out, you should be ready to take her,” Abramson advised. “I learned it a long time ago.”

.