In March 2010, CJR filed two Freedom of Information Law requests seeking e-mails between journalists and Governor Paterson’s two most senior press aides during the period of time when the The New York Times was working on an investigation that would lead to Paterson’s decision to drop his gubernatorial campaign, and when Albany was seized by rumors about what the impending bombshell would be.
The state denied our requests, and a similar request made by Gawker’s John Cook. After appeals and legal action by both Cook and CJR, the Attorney General’s office determined that it could not defend the state’s initial denials, and finally released the documents to us on the afternoon of November 24, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Gawker and CJR mutually agreed to delay publishing any reporting based on the e-mails until December 1. (Gawker’s take is here.)
We bring you a selection of articles and excerpts from the e-mails. Some are just for fun, but others reveal newsroom conflict, reporters angling for access, sharp elbows from the governor’s communications staff, or previously unknown aspects of the Times’s reporting. But they all have something to say about how reporters do their work.
So You Want to Talk to the Governor?
The word “promise” comes up
Dealing with the Times
Governor’s aides parry with their inquisitors
One Night at the AP
Conflicting e-mails from capitol editor offer window into a newsroom conflict
How To Leak A Political Scoop
It starts with an e-mail…
A Lecture for the New Media Set
Kauffmann on John Koblin’s Tweet and “journalistic integrity”
“I will separate his head from his body”
Communications director wants to plug leak with machete
Governor Spotted With Four Women
None-too-pleased reporter forced to watch The View
Nicholas Confessore: Greatest Journalist Who Ever Lived?
Making up quotes is fun and easy
Rumor-mongering Is Wrong…Except When I Do It
Does NPR’s Ken Rudin see the irony here?
“Sorry About the Inadvertent Promotion”
Chris Smith’s error in NY Mag piece predicts the future
Need Some Help Climbing Out of That Mess?
NY Mag’s Chris Smith’s witty e-mail misfire
WTF! Where’s My Callback?
There’s time for a laugh in Albany
“Not Putting This In An E-mail”
She must have known
We wish to thank our counsel, Andrew Wittenstein and Mary Dontzin, and the rest of the staff at Friedman & Wittenstein.
I'm am struggling to understand this one thing: What's your point?
#1 Posted by Henry, CJR on Wed 1 Dec 2010 at 03:32 PM
I'm am struggling to understand this one thing: What's your point?
#2 Posted by Henry, CJR on Wed 1 Dec 2010 at 03:33 PM
This is stunning. Trying to out-Gawker Gawker. You guys have really fallen from grace. But I guess you need to make yourself relevant somehow. And Joel, this is what you went to J-School for -- to report on journalists private back and forths with flacks. Please return to Australia.
#3 Posted by Clint Mearas, CJR on Thu 2 Dec 2010 at 08:24 AM
Henry and CM, here is the point: we think the public deserves to know how the press works. Also, it's interesting.
#4 Posted by Mike Hoyt, CJR on Thu 2 Dec 2010 at 09:54 AM
Then tell us how it works. Printing the emails just strikes me as an invasion of private conversations. Will CJR make all its emails public now? It's just common decency. Which CJR apparently does not have.
#5 Posted by clint meares, CJR on Fri 3 Dec 2010 at 12:07 AM