Kelly Jane Torrance, editor of The Washington Star, said a CNN interview with New York Times reporters appears more damaging than previously thought [1].
The critique highlights a potential gap between what journalists disclose to the public during media appearances and the internal knowledge they possess while reporting. This discrepancy raises questions about transparency and the accuracy of the reporters' public framing of their own work.
Torrance addressed the issue during a segment reported by Sky News Australia [1, 2]. She pointed to an appearance the New York Times writers made on CNN last month, shortly after the publication of their story [1].
According to Torrance, the demeanor of the reporters during the broadcast was inconsistent with the gravity of the information they held. She said the writers were overly casual about the story on CNN and that new information suggests they knew more than they disclosed [1].
"A lot of people have been pointing to an appearance on CNN that the New York Times writers made last month after they had published their story," Torrance said [1]. "It’s quite incredible the way that they were talking on CNN about the story and really how casual they thought the story was. Now that we know how much more they actually knew…" [1].
The editor's comments suggest that the casual tone adopted by the reporters may now be viewed as misleading in light of subsequent revelations. The situation underscores the tension between the informal nature of cable news interviews and the rigorous standards of investigative journalism.
“"It’s quite incredible the way that they were talking on CNN about the story"”
This critique reflects a broader debate regarding journalistic accountability and the 'meta-reporting' of news. When reporters appear on news programs to discuss their own findings, any perceived discrepancy between their public tone and their private knowledge can be framed as a lack of transparency, potentially damaging the credibility of the reporting institution.
