The Grey Lady Sells Out — Existence Trumps Time-Honored Standards
By: Mark Winter
If ever there was a reason to believe that the newspaper industry is in serious trouble, it appeared in the form of an ad on the front page of the New York Times. Not a teaser — a full-blown ad.
The New York Times has long been heralded as the bastion of journalistic ethics, including its long-standing belief that the front page was reserved solely for news. The New York Times long ago sold out on the front page of its sections, but A1 stood alone as a place where individuals earned the right to appear — whether they wanted to or not.
In these dire times for newspapers, are standards such as the purity of the front page worth setting aside? Can we look past the ad alongside the nation’s most pressing headlines in order to keep the Grey Lady afloat? Perhaps we must, but I wish the price wasn’t so high.
