Inside the Article:
On Monday night, a tragedy occurred at Michigan State University that left three innocent people dead, and five others injured. The mass shooting at MSU is a tragic event that has impacted the lives of many people. The New York Times, as well as other news outlets, have a responsibility to report on the shooting in a way that is informative and compassionate. Unfortunately, the NYT failed to do that, and instead, they embarrassed themselves by writing and publishing an article that ties the mass shooting at MSU to the Larry Nassar sex scandal. The title of the article that was published on Tuesday has the headline, “The mass shooting places Michigan State back in an uncomfortable national spotlight”. Ever since the article dropped, the New York Times has been getting bashed right and left on social media.
New York Times bashed for publishing trash story relating Michigan State shooting to Larry Nassar Scandal
Immediately following the publishing of the story, people flocked to social media to rip them. Here is a sample of the online reaction to the article.
The New York Times needs to issue a public apology
It is important to acknowledge that the NYT needs to issue a public apology for linking the shooting at MSU to the Larry Nassar scandal. This insensitive and inappropriate angle disrespects the victims of the shooting and their families, as well as the survivors of Nassar's abuse. It is 100% unacceptable that the story was ever cleared in the first place, and embarrassing that it ended up making it into the newspaper and online.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that it is crucial for professional journalists to approach their reporting with empathy and respect. It is a journalist's responsibility to report the news accurately, but it is equally important to do so in a way that is mindful of the impact it has on those who are affected by the events being reported on. The New York Times should take this situation as a learning experience and work to ensure that they do not make such insensitive mistakes in the future.
