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PrintMarch 16, 2009
Not Quite Ready for Prime Times
Pinch Sulzberger's son, Arthur G. Sulzberger (not a III due to omission of Ochs as a middle name), was brought in from the cold at an Oregon paper recently and given a desk in the Times's shiny new Eighth Avenue headquarters.
Until today, his duties consisted mainly of covering local city matters, such as the declaration of a school snow day, an auction of Ghandi's belongings, and moving a house by barge to a new site in Glen Cove, LI.
This morning, however, the A.G. Sulzberger byline appears on a page A15 article reporting a TV interview with Dick Cheney - clearly a more controversial subject than has been previously assigned to this youthful reporter.
Reading A.G.'s potentially hot-potato story suggests the reasoning behind bringing him in for additional "training" right in the heart of the Gray Lady's newsroom. To the young reporter's credit, the Cheney article is not only well and clearly written, but it is balanced, neutral, and objective -- hardly characteristics of much Times political reportage, especially on such figures as the former vice president.
Obviously, only breathing the Gray Lady's air right in her own newsroom, rubbing shoulders with seasoned reporters and grizzled editors, can teach young Arthur the spin and slant that needs to make acceptable Times copy.
Perhaps A.G., who thus far seems without the kind of colorful nicknames attached to his father and grandfather before him, will prove to be a quick study in the techniques of slant, snark, and spin practiced by the likes of such pros as Bumiller, Erlanger, Stolberg, and even reviewers like Kakutani and Stanley. When that days arrives, he'll surely make his old man proud.
