Public Editor Number One: The Collected Columns (with Reflections, Reconsiderations, and Even a Few Retractions) of the First Ombudsman of The New York Times [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)

by Daniel Okrent (Author) "WHEN The New York Times invites you to be the first person charged with publicly evaluating, criticizing and otherwise commenting on the paper's integrity, it's..." (more)
Key Phrases: anonymous sourcing, public editor, corrections policy, New York, Bill Keller, President Bush (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
If ever a job was to serve as a vortex of contempt-social, political, intellectual, professional, grammatical and sometimes just plain nonsensical-it's the ombudsman at The New York Times. Established in the wake of the Jayson Blair fiasco and the dramatic departure of then-executive editor Howell Raines, the Times' "public editor" was to serve as the readers' advocate, a wildcard columnist with the freedom and power to explore, analyze and, when necessary, rebuke the "paper of record" on its own pages. Into that spot stepped Okrent, a former magazine editor whose zeal for the task and willingness to irritate Times staffers and readers alike yielded twice-monthly essays that were everything column-writing should be: conversational, provocative, probing, revelatory, often combative, occasionally humorous, and a touch self-satisfied. During his 18-month tenure, Okrent addressed some of print journalism's hottest topics-anonymous sources, polls and statistics, the selection and placement of photographs, the persistent accusation of liberal bias-in an attempt to demystify the day-to-day sausage-making at the world's (arguably) most important newspaper. Though too concerned with his own critics, Okrent's short, insightful and sometimes apologetic epilogues that follow each column add valuable depth to an already strong collection.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The wise and witty columns of The New York Times's first Public Editor, along with a report from him of his time at the paper, are indispensable for anyone who cares about how journalism is practiced

From December 2003 to May 2005, Daniel Okrent served as the New York Times' first "Public Editor," a position created following the newspaper's Jayson Blair scandal and the tumultuous reign and resignation of Howell Raines as Executive Editor. His mission: read the paper and provide his assessments, without guidance from the paper itself and without fear or favor, of how well it executed its responsibility to provide objective, accurate, and complete coverage of the world-at-large. Not an easy task, but the New York Times chose the right writer for the job. Experienced, wise and witty, opinionated but never shrill, he delivered.

Okrent addressed subjects ranging from WMD coverage, reporter self-promotion, pulling for or piling on political candidates, and corrections policy, to the Tony Awards, to the great delight and consternation of the paper's readers, and those in its own newsroom. Now, collected, amended, and assessed by Okrent here are the complete columns of his rocky and illuminating eighteen months along with an evaluation of the entire experience; its ups and downs and what he thinks he got right and got wrong. This is a smart, serious, entertaining, and long-lasting look at what today's finest journalism does well--and what it can do better. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs (May 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586484001
• ASIN: B000VYM34Q
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,861,582 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must reading, December 28, 2008

By	Joseph M. Mcnally - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Public Editor #1: The Collected Columns (with Reflections, Reconsiderations, and Even a Few Retractions) of the First Ombudsman of The New York Times (Paperback)

Dan remains one of the most articulate voices in all of journalism. He negotiated the tightrope of commenting forcefully, accurately and fairly about one of the most storied, ego driven, over sensitive, self important and crucial institutions of our times--the NY Times--with aplomb, wit, sensitivity and erudition. His writings and the reactions to them play out with lucid grace in this very important book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Observing the Times, from a distance, January 26, 2008

By	Wesley Blount (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okrent was the first, and still - 3 editors in - probably the best of the Public Editors; it fell to him to define the role, and he basically used his biweekly column to take on simmering controversies, challenge preexisting notions at The Times, and occasionally dip into the whole "liberal bias/MSM" type discussions out in the blogosphere. Mostly though, Okrent was a graceful, charming writer, and his collected columns showcase the easy, familiar way he had dealing with his topics. Whether chiding the Times for over-zealous Tony Award coverage, or wading into the controversies of unnamed sources, Okrent brought years of newspaper experience and the point of view of an avid reader to each issue, and illuminated the dilemmas of putting out a paper every day. At least one of his suggestions - a reworking of the "Corrections" section to separate small things like misspellings from larger errors of fact or reporting, is probably his most lasting impact. But so is this book, a great read, and a fun lok at contemporary issues in journalism. I highly recommend it.

0 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Judith Miller, Jayson Blair, Daniel Okrent, May 21, 2006

By	Caswallon S. Barrios - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Public Editor Number One: The Collected Columns (with Reflections, Reconsiderations, and Even a Few Retractions) of the First Ombudsman of The New York Times (Hardcover)

...the NYT All-Stars. worth a look, at least as unintended companion volume to Walter Lord's A Night to Remember. in the author's defense, he doesn't feign objectivity, whether it be in regard to the social views of NYT staffers or in defending theologies with "trick power supplies." on the downside, he's no Jack Germond.