NYT Quietly Softens Its Christie 'Bombshell'
The Times first reported that former Port Authority official David Wildstein said Gov. Chris Christie knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closures and that Wildstein had the evidence to prove it.
The stronger original wording damaged Republican Chris Christie, then a leading 2016 prospect.
What was reported
The Times first reported that former Port Authority official David Wildstein said Gov. Chris Christie knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closures and that Wildstein had the evidence to prove it.
What actually happened
Wildstein's lawyer's letter actually said 'evidence exists' that Christie knew, not that Wildstein possessed it. The Times rewrote the passage without a correction or editor's note. Public editor Margaret Sullivan called the change more than a nuance and said readers should have been told. (Whether Christie knew remained disputed; Wildstein later gave testimony on the point, but the paper's original wording overstated what the letter said.)
The proof
The Times' own public editor faulted the unannounced revision from 'had the evidence' to 'evidence exists.'
The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:
NYT Quietly Softens Its Christie 'Bombshell' — Retracted. The Times' own public editor faulted the unannounced revision from 'had the evidence' to 'evidence exists.' Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/nyt-christie-wildstein-had-the-evidence/
Original reporting
- WHYY: NYT report that ex-Port Authority official says Christie knewhttps://whyy.org/articles/nyt-former-port-authority-official-claims-gov-christie-knew-about-lane-closings
Corrections, findings & records
- iMediaEthics: NYT back-pedals on Christie story with hidden editshttps://www.imediaethics.org/chris-christie-bridgegate-nyt-back-pedals-from-attack-with-hidden-edits/
- Mediaite: NYT public editor slams stealth edits on Christie reporthttps://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/ny-times-public-editor-slams-papers-stealth-edits-on-christie-bombshell-report
- TPM: NYT public editor says paper should have noted the changehttps://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/new-york-times-wildstein-christie-change
Archived copies
Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.
- Archived copy: WHYY: NYT report that ex-Port Authority official says Christie knewhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://whyy.org/articles/nyt-former-port-authority-official-claims-gov-christie-knew-about-lane-closings