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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 8 January 2019

Former NY Times editor says Fox took her book out of context

By DAVID BAUDER Kurtz said in a phone inter- porting about him. Shortly istration complains about 5). He said he informed the
Associated Press view with the AP that he after Kurtz’s story was post- press scrutiny. book’s publisher that he
NEW YORK (AP) — Jill was “sorry to see Jill back ed on Wednesday, it was “We take pride in our long was writing about it and
Abramson, the former edi- away from her own words” picked up by several news history of journalistic inde- agreed to their request to
tor of The New York Times, and that his report was ac- outlets popular with Trump pendence and commit- delay his story for a few
said Thursday that Fox News curate. supporters, including Breit- ment to covering the news weeks.
took her criticism of the “I would have written bart News, NewsMax, the without fear or favor,” she The book, subtitled “The
newspaper’s Trump cover- this story the same way Washington Times, the New said. The Post declined Business of News and the
age in her upcoming book if I were working for any York Post and the Hill. comment on Abramson’s Fight for Facts,” looks at
“totally out of context” for assertion that its news challenges faced by the
a story that appeared this coverage was also anti- Times, the Post, BuzzFeed
week. Trump. The plain-spoken and Vice.
The Fox story, headlined Abramson has drawn at- Her discussion of the Times’
“Former NY Times edi- tention in the past for criti- 2016 campaign coverage
tor rips Trump coverage cizing her old newspaper, criticizes extensive atten-
as biased,” quotes from recently chiding the Times tion paid to Hillary Clinton’s
Abramson’s book, “Mer- for not doing reporting that email issues, while also dis-
chants of Truth.” She wrote could have foreseen the cussing a late-campaign
that although current Times rise of U.S. Rep. Alexandria story that many Trump crit-
executive editor Dean Ocasio-Cortez. She’s also ics believed minimized the
Baquet publicly said he offered praise, saying in her seriousness of the Repub-
didn’t want the newspaper book that Baquet’s deci- lican campaign connec-
to be the opposition party, sion for the newspaper to tions to Russia.
“his news pages were un- bluntly call some of Trump’s “The biggest problem of
mistakably anti-Trump.” remarks a lie was “brave all was the relentless pace
With a mostly liberal audi- and right.” of the political news cycle,
ence, “there was an im- In her email, Abramson which required snap deci-
plicit financial reward for notes that Kurtz ignored sions and constant reactive
the Times in running lots of her passage in the book stories,” she wrote. “The im-
Trump stories, almost all of In this April 19, 2010, file photo, Jill Abramson attends the saying that under Baquet’s balances were most glar-
them negative,” she wrote 2010 Matrix Awards presented by the New York Women in leadership, the depth and ing when the coverage of
Communications at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.
in the book. Associated Press intensity of its account- Clinton was compared to
Abramson was executive ability coverage of Trump the coverage of Trump.
editor of the Times from news organization,” said Abramson wrote that the “was masterful. On most The Times misstated the
2011 to 2014 before being Kurtz, a former Washing- more anti-Trump that the days it outshone the Post’s. seriousness of the govern-
fired following a dispute ton Post media columnist. Times was perceived to be, The news report as a whole ment’s investigation of Rus-
with Baquet, one of her “Her sometimes harsh criti- the more it was mistrusted had never been stronger.” sian meddling in the 2016
deputies. She said in an cism of her former paper’s for being biased. In his story, Kurtz wrote that election.”
email interview with The Trump coverage leaps off The late publisher Adolph Abramson “defends the She also writes with discom-
Associated Press that the the page and is clearly the Ochs’ promise to cover the Times in some ways but of- fort about some of the ways
Fox article’s author, “Media most newsworthy element news without fear or favor fers some harsh words for business considerations
Buzz” host Howard Kurtz, in the book because of her “sounded like an impos- her successor.” have infiltrated the Times’
had ignored compliments standing as a former exec- sible promise in such a po- Abramson said Kurtz never newsroom. She writes of an
that she had for the Times utive editor.” larized environment, where called her for comment be- “emerging divide” in the
and The Washington Post. Their dispute is yet another the very definition of ‘fact’ fore writing his story. Kurtz Times newsroom between
“His article is an attempt to example of a polarized and ‘truth’ was under con- said he relied on her written younger members trained
Foxify my book, which is full media environment in the stant assault,” she wrote word, and that most au- in digital and not traditional
of praise for The Times and Trump era. Abramson’s in the book. Eileen Mur- thors don’t give interviews reportorial work, and an
The Washington Post and book talks about that at phy, spokeswoman for the so far in advance of a pub- old guard that operated
their coverage of Trump,” length, and criticizes Trump Times, also echoed Ochs lishing date (“Merchants under strict guidelines of
she wrote in the email. for trying to undermine re- in saying that every admin- of Truth” goes on sale Feb. fairness.q

Chrissy Metz, Alison Brie shut

down rumor about insult

By The Associated Press cast that a report claim- syMetz. Rumors can’t keep
Chrissy Metz has denied ing that Metz used a curse us down!” The clip is of her
a report that she insulted word to describe Brie was speaking over footage of
“GLOW” actress Alison Brie “completely fabricated.” Brie and the words are not
during an interview on the She wrote that she adores easily distinguishable.
Golden Globes red carpet Brie and would never say a Us Weekly later deleted a
and the two appeared in bad word about her. tweet questioning whether
a social media post later Brie later posted on her Metz cursed.
This combination photo shows Chrissy Metz at the 76th annual
Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on Jan. 6, 2019, left, and downplaying any acrimo- Instagram account a pic- Other news outlets also
Alison Brie at Porter’s 3rd Annual Incredible Women Gala in Los ny. The “This Is Us” star wrote ture of the two actresses reported that Metz used
Angeles on Oct. 9, 2018. on Twitter on Sunday night together and said, “Noth- a curse word to describe
Associated Press during the Globes broad- ing but love for @Chris- Brie.q