C’mon, New York Times! It’s for the kids!
According to the New York Post‘s Page Six, the New York Times‘s refusal to review Times reporter Warren St. John’s new book, Outcasts United, about the Clarkston soccer team The Fugees, has less to do with avoiding “too much self-promotion” and more to do with the little green monster. Here’s what the Post had to say:
“Poor Warren got stabbed in the back. It’s like he’s been punished
by the paper for doing well,” one bitter Times veteran told Page Six . . .
“The official line to St. John is that they weren’t reviewing
because it would seem like too much of a self-promotion of the Times,
but that’s ridiculous. They review all books by their reporters,” our
insider said.
“The real reason is they are totally jealous he scored the book and
the movie rights. It’s typical passive-aggressive behavior of the Times
suits towards their staff, like, ‘He hit the jackpot, he got mentioned
on Oprah. Why should we help him?’ But just as a
professional courtesy, wouldn’t you think they’d throw him a bone? It’s
so petty. Warren is a truly good guy and he was totally taken aback by
this.”
The Times did have its rebuttal ready, courtesy of a spokesperson: “Unfortunately, we are unable to review all the books worthy of
readers’ attention, whether they are written by Times journalists or
others. Given the space constraints we have, the choices are difficult
and we weigh them very carefully.”
And that, apparently, is all the news fit to print.
