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Journalists Outraged as New York Times Fires Editor Lauren Wolfe for Pro-Biden Tweet

Meanwhile, men accused of sexual misconduct continue to be employed.
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Chelsea Steiner
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Published: Jan 24, 2021 04:29 pm

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The New York Times is facing public outcry after firing editor Lauren Wolfe for tweeting that seeing Joe Biden’s plane arriving in Washington, D.C., before his inauguration “gave her chills.” As you can see below, it’s a fairly innocuous sentiment shared by countless citizens across the country, and hardly grounds for firing. But thanks to the relentless efforts of bad faith actors, conservative mouthpieces, and Trump supporters, Wolfe has lost her job.

lauren wolfe

(image: Twitter)

Wolfe, an award-winning journalist who has reported extensively on rape and sexual assault in war zones, was quickly defended by her fellow journalists, including Josh Shahryar, who tweeted a lengthy thread on their friend and colleague. Shahryar pointed out how Wolfe’s tweet set off a firestorm of bad faith journalism that led to targeted harassment, stalking, and death threats simply for expressing relief at Biden’s plane landing.

Shahryar’s impassioned thread was followed by several fellow journalists who called out the Times for firing Wolfe. It’s especially egregious in light of the men who remain employed by the Times, like Glenn Thrush who was suspended but not fired after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Or Andy Mills, whose “Caliphate” podcast series was debunked and retracted, forcing the Times to return a Peabody award. Those men still have their jobs at the New York Times.

And that doesn’t include countless bad faith and biased articles that the Times has championed. I mean, only last week the newspaper had articles criticizing Biden’s Peloton and Rolex watch, because those are newsworthy apparently.

Many are also pointing to journalist and pundit Glenn Greenwald, for tweeting that Wolfe’s comments were “a matter of personal dignity.”

Greenwald denied any involvement in Wolfe’s firing, calling the claims “lunacy”, but fails to make the connection that his followers will rabidly pursue those he deems worthy of censure. Of course, Greenwald was probably too busy writing articles praising politicians with a history of bullying, blackmail, and revenge porn. I guess having a penis is a prerequisite for receiving Greenwald’s compassion and understanding.

A New York Times spokesperson disputed the firing claim, saying “For privacy reasons we don’t get into the details of personnel matters but can say that we didn’t end someone’s employment over a single tweet.”

In the meantime, friends of Wolfe are urging readers to call the New York Times and encouraging donations to Wolfe’s Venmo. And after four years of simpering and sycophantic coverage of Donald Trump, many are ready to cancel their subscriptions altogether. Unless the Times can adequately explain their sexist double standard that led to Wolfe’s firing, they will retain their reputation as a biased, sexist hive of bad faith journalism.

(via The Wrap, featured image: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

Correction: The original version of this story used the wrong pronoun for Josh Shahryar.

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Author
Image of Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.
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