Duly Quoted: Leave the 'New York Times' Alone!

"It is easy and satisfying to be a critic of the Times. Almost every reader, and certainly anyone who operates in the political, business, cultural, or sports precincts, among others, can tell you what the paper has done wrong. Times reporters and editors are so powerful in their fields that they tend to be regarded with fear and loathing. But inside the institution, there are roiling insecurities and other symptoms of abundant talent vying for prominence in one place. Because the Times is so ingrained a factor in American life, its every flaw, foible, and stumble is magnified, making the insignificant seem serious and the serious monumental.

"But the New York Times accomplishes so much, in so many ways, every day, that on scale alone, its role as a chronicler is indispensable. What matters most though is its core values as a gatherer and interpreter of news. In the midst of a crisis in which its very survival is at stake, the Times' commitment to quality and depth has not wavered."

-Former Random House publisher and Washington Post editor Peter Osnos, channeling his inner Chris Crocker in an essay for The Daily Beast about why The New York Times Co. gets unfairly picked on. In related news, the Times Co. filed notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday of its plans to raise money through debt or equity.