Semafor’s Ben Smith: This is ‘a Moment When Democrats Really Want the Media in Their Corner’

BRZEZINSKI The executive editor ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ pushing back against criticism ░░░░░░░░ the newspaper has received ░░░░░░░░ its coverage of the ░░░░░░░░ election In an interview ░░░░░░░░ Semafor Joseph Kahn responded ░░░░░░░░ attacks from some on ░░░░░░░░ left who say The ░░░░░░░░ reporting is too critical ░░░░░░░░ President Joe Biden and ░░░░░░░░ enable Donald Trump to ░░░░░░░░ back the White House ░░░░░░░░ are so many things ░░░░░░░░ with that right there ░░░░░░░░ are people out there ░░░░░░░░ the world who may ░░░░░░░░ based on their democratic ░░░░░░░░ to elect Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ president Kahn said It ░░░░░░░░ not the job of ░░░░░░░░ news media to prevent ░░░░░░░░ from happening It s ░░░░░░░░ job of Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ the people around Biden ░░░░░░░░ prevent that from happening ░░░░░░░░ say that the threats ░░░░░░░░ democracy are so great ░░░░░░░░ the media is going ░░░░░░░░ abandon its central role ░░░░░░░░ a source of impartial ░░░░░░░░ to help people vote ░░░░░░░░ s essentially saying that ░░░░░░░░ media should become a ░░░░░░░░ arm for the single ░░░░░░░░ because we prefer that ░░░░░░░░ s agenda Oh this ░░░░░░░░ so interesting Joining us ░░░░░░░░ editor in chief of ░░░░░░░░ Ben Smith He conducted ░░░░░░░░ interview with Joseph Kahn ░░░░░░░░ s also the author ░░░░░░░░ the 2023 book out ░░░░░░░░ in paperback entitled Traffic ░░░░░░░░ Rivalry and Delusion in ░░░░░░░░ Billion Dollar Race to ░░░░░░░░ Viral SCARBOROUGH You know ░░░░░░░░ you can go online ░░░░░░░░ five seconds and find ░░░░░░░░ of The Times being ░░░░░░░░ for being too anti ░░░░░░░░ too anti Trump too ░░░░░░░░ Israel too anti Palestinian ░░░░░░░░ s just it goes ░░░░░░░░ it even though it ░░░░░░░░ seen as a center ░░░░░░░░ newspaper The goal is ░░░░░░░░ play it straight down ░░░░░░░░ middle Talk about the ░░░░░░░░ that the executive editor ░░░░░░░░ feeling right now Smith ░░░░░░░░ I think you know ░░░░░░░░ is a moment when ░░░░░░░░ really want the media ░░░░░░░░ their corner you know ░░░░░░░░ what a lot of ░░░░░░░░ see as this battle ░░░░░░░░ democracy But what s ░░░░░░░░ inside The New York ░░░░░░░░ is a sense that ░░░░░░░░ particularly the summer of ░░░░░░░░ they aligned themselves too ░░░░░░░░ with particularly the progressive ░░░░░░░░ of the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ know on account of ░░░░░░░░ staff on account of ░░░░░░░░ sort of cultural forces ░░░░░░░░ I think Kahn sees ░░░░░░░░ job as pulling the ░░░░░░░░ back from what he ░░░░░░░░ excesses in that moment ░░░░░░░░ of inconvenient time perhaps ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden for The ░░░░░░░░ to be kind of ░░░░░░░░ focused on dragging itself ░░░░░░░░ from that brink SCARBOROUGH ░░░░░░░░ what did Marty Baron ░░░░░░░░ at The Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ re going to work ░░░░░░░░ war It seems to ░░░░░░░░ that even if readers ░░░░░░░░ at these newspapers and ░░░░░░░░ that it seems like ░░░░░░░░ re going to war ░░░░░░░░ some of the more ░░░░░░░░ elements of Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ platform against his future ░░░░░░░░ again the editor people ░░░░░░░░ the newsroom their job ░░░░░░░░ not to pick sides ░░░░░░░░ job is to report ░░░░░░░░ facts Of course in ░░░░░░░░ opinion because we don ░░░░░░░░ have to play it ░░░░░░░░ the middle the facts ░░░░░░░░ heinous enough to speak ░░░░░░░░ themselves Smith Yeah but ░░░░░░░░ think there is a ░░░░░░░░ of you know what ░░░░░░░░ does it mean to ░░░░░░░░ it down the middle ░░░░░░░░ know is the job ░░░░░░░░ the media to fight ░░░░░░░░ democracy or in democracy ░░░░░░░░ we have this very ░░░░░░░░ specific lane and we ░░░░░░░░ supposed to stay in ░░░░░░░░ I think in some ░░░░░░░░ what The Times is ░░░░░░░░ is the second option ░░░░░░░░