An off-duty police officer pulled his gun on a gas station patron he suspects of shoplifting. He pulled his gun with no hesitation. He didn't try & ask a question, just pulled a gun for taking something worth $5 & then when he was wrong just goes, my bad like it's no big deal.
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THREAD. I've been studying how the New York Times uses sources. If you look at many of its articles together, something disturbing emerges: NYT relies on police and corporate sources to subtly shape how we see social problems and solutions. I try my best to lay it out below.
First, some background. Reporters and editors are constantly making choices about who to speak with to get story ideas about what to cover, who to interview to describe a problem, who to interview to tell us about the universe of potential solutions.
Importantly, sources ultimately quoted in an article often played a vital role behind the scenes. Many people don’t realize that the people quoted in articles explaining what happened and what could be done about it are often the same people who brought the story to the reporter.
In this process, many reporters rely on police and allies (prosecutors, pro-police officials, punishment bureaucrats, consultants, and corporate profiteers) to decide which stories to cover and to tell us "the facts." But when you look across articles, the pattern is striking:
Let's take a look at a few examples from the New York Times. Here's one about "perceptions" of rising crime:
First, some background. Reporters and editors are constantly making choices about who to speak with to get story ideas about what to cover, who to interview to describe a problem, who to interview to tell us about the universe of potential solutions.
Importantly, sources ultimately quoted in an article often played a vital role behind the scenes. Many people don’t realize that the people quoted in articles explaining what happened and what could be done about it are often the same people who brought the story to the reporter.
In this process, many reporters rely on police and allies (prosecutors, pro-police officials, punishment bureaucrats, consultants, and corporate profiteers) to decide which stories to cover and to tell us "the facts." But when you look across articles, the pattern is striking:
Let's take a look at a few examples from the New York Times. Here's one about "perceptions" of rising crime:
What do you notice?
— Alec Karakatsanis (@equalityAlec) April 8, 2022
\u201cPolice officials.\u201d
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Professor
\u201cthe Police department\u201d
\u201cthe police department\u201d
\u201cofficials\u201d
Chief of detectives
Newest MPOX aerosol study: Contagious Monkeypox found in air up to 15 ft away from patient and as high 6ft in the air. #MonkeyPoxIsAirborneToo #MaskUp 😷✅👍 Healthcare Agencies protect your staff.Tell them it’s airborne. Don’t make the same mistake done w/Covid. #COVIDisAirborne
MPOX doesn’t appear 2 as contagious as Covid via/airborne spread.Messaging matters to the public. It’d B a shame if anyone w/Monkeypox patients only depended on hand sanitizer/gloves,like they mistakenly did w/Covid. #MonkeyPoxIsAirborneToo 😷👍✅
Yesterday, the @WHO claimed:
— Maarten De Cock (@mdc_martinus) July 23, 2022
\u201cFACT: The #monkeypox virus is NOT airborne\u201d
Let\u2019s now see what this scientific study shows us.https://t.co/5elzET88tL
This is evidence that the monkeypox virus is airborne.
Please correct @WHO\u2019s misinformation. @PeopleDocGeneva @mvankerkhove https://t.co/caH0vIFzrC pic.twitter.com/soRtGTXHjb
MPOX doesn’t appear 2 as contagious as Covid via/airborne spread.Messaging matters to the public. It’d B a shame if anyone w/Monkeypox patients only depended on hand sanitizer/gloves,like they mistakenly did w/Covid. #MonkeyPoxIsAirborneToo 😷👍✅
