Misrepresenting Wild Horses at The New York Times

How much disclosure does the media owe its readers? TwoNew York Timesarticles illuminate the complexity of this timely question:“Hidden Interests, Closer to Home,”by Public Editor Margaret Sullivan (Sept. 20, 2014), and“As Wild Horses Overrun the West, Ranchers Fear Land Will Be Gobbled Up,”byTimesstaff writer, Dave Philipps (Sept. 30, 2014).

Sullivan’s and Philipps’ articles bookend a discussion about think tanks exploiting op-ed pieces (or other articles) to advance policies in a way that obscures conflicts of interest. Sullivan’s article clarifies theTimes’position on this issue. She writes, “For [Times’] readers to evaluate ideas, they need to know where they’re coming from — and who might be paying for them.” A related corollary is that to evaluate ideas, readers also need access to accurate data and context.

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