The New York Times said they want to allow their readers to make their own judgments about whether the whistleblower is credible. The paper’s executive editor, Dean Baquet, said readers should know the whistleblower is a CIA officer with extensive knowledge about Ukrainian politics, who at one point worked in the White House.
Baquet regarded the information as vital to set the record straight after he said President Trump and some of his supporters have attacked the credibility of the whistleblower. The president and several officials have stated the subject’s complaint about the Ukraine phone call consisted of political bias and secondhand information.
“Basically, that person never saw the
report, never saw the call…heard something and decided that he or she
or whoever the hell it is…they’re almost a spy. I want to know who’s the
person that gave the whistleblower the information?” — President Trump
Despite the New York Times trying to disprove President Trump’s
argument, disclosing the identity backfired into a larger debate.
Baquet’s statement alludes to the whistleblower’s gender as the editor
refers to the complainant as “him” and “he.”National Intelligence officials noted the publication has now endangered the whistleblower’s life and reputation, and has set an alarming precedent that would prevent potential whistleblowers to come forward in the future.Dean Baquet, our executive editor, explains why we chose to publish the information about the whistle-blower https://t.co/5BtDXYpoiz pic.twitter.com/s0mZaivG3t— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 26, 2019
The general public also objected across the board as the hashtag — #CancelNYT — appeared trending on Twitter, kick-starting a movement for everyone to cancel their subscriptions. Others called for Baquet to step down and noted his New York Times continuously fails to meet basic journalistic standards.
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