George S. May Business Blog

Wall Street Journal and New York Times go toe-to-toe

According to David Carr the Wall Street Journal is no longer an exemplary business broadsheet. The New York Times writer in his column today called the Journal an ordinary paper with a conservative slant.

Robert Thomson (not one to be bullied) fired back immediately stating that “principle is but a bystander at the New York Times. He then added to the mud-slinging fest by tossing out some “juicy” gossip:

“The attack follows the extraordinary actions of Mr Bill Keller, the Executive Editor, who, among other things, last year wrote personally and at length to a prize committee casting aspersions on Journal journalist and journalism.”

Hmmm…Could that “prize committee” possibly be none other than the Pulitzer committee? Did Keller really write to the Pulitzer committee and urge them not to give an award to the Journal? Thomson didn’t explain further.

But you didn’t expect Mr. Keller to just take the trash talking and not fire back did you?

Bill Keller spoke with the New York Observer on the issue:

 ”While David’s column clearly got under Mr. Thomson’s skin, I don’t see anything in this response that casts doubt upon it. The column was scrupulously fair and, if anything, understated.”

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