I blogged yesterday about Time magazine’s commendable skepticism about the alleged terror plot targeting JFK airport in New York City. Today, a quick update. Turns out the New York Times was skeptical from the beginning, at least a day before Time. Even though the NYT played their story about the plot big on their website, they completely buried it in their print version. Readers complained, and today the NYT‘s national editor responded:
“In the years since 9/11, there have been quite a few interrupted terrorist plots. It now seems possible to exercise some judgment about their gravity. Not all plots are the same. In this case, law enforcement officials said that J.F.K. was never in immediate danger. The plotters had yet to lay out plans. They had no financing. Nor did they have any explosives. It is with all that in mind, that the editors in charge this weekend did not put this story on the front page.”
Hear, hear! Next time a government official spews hyperbole, claiming with scant evidence that “one of the most chilling plots imaginable” almost “resulted in unfathomable damage, deaths and destruction,” I hope the rest of the media and American citizens across the country exercise as much judgement as the New York Times.
Update: I love this attitude from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but Josh is right, he’ll never survive in the GOP thinking this way: “There are lots of threats to you in the world. There’s the threat of a heart attack for genetic reasons. You can’t sit there and worry about everything. Get a life. You have a much greater danger of being hit by lightning than being struck by a terrorist.”
