Ever since the start of the campaign, Hillary Clinton boosters have been complaining about coverage of their candidate in the New York Times. And today the paper announced that Washington bureau chief Carolyn Ryan is being demoted -- or shifting roles! -- at the paper.
As the Huffington Post outlines, "The New York Times announced Tuesday that Elisabeth Bumiller, a veteran reporter and current Washington editor, will take over as Washington bureau chief -- one of the paper’s most prestigious posts. Carolyn Ryan, who was named bureau chief in late 2013, will transition to a new role as senior editor for politics."
Hillary boosters are publicly connecting what they see as bad coverage with Ryan's new role at the paper.
"Earlier this summer, following a series of faulty reports, I called on New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. to take responsible steps necessary to reverse course on the seemingly institutional anti-Clinton bias at the paper," David Brock, a professional Clinton booster, writes in a statement celebrating the move.
"The chronic lapses in accuracy and editorial judgement [sic] at The Times resulting in the dissemination of false information about Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton culminated in a front page story that the former secretary of state was the subject of a criminal investigation -- an outrageous bogus charge The Times felt compelled to repudiate following intense pressure.
"I hope that with today's announcement of new leadership in the Washington bureau this means that The Times' coverage in the future will demonstrate a greater sense of accuracy and fairness in keeping with its own standards."
But contrary to Brock's suggestion: some are reporting the move is formalizing a change that's been in place for a while.
"Elisabeth Bumiller will replace Carolyn Ryan as Washington bureau chief at The New York Times, formalizing a leadership hierarchy in the Times’ political editing ranks that has been in place for months," Poynter writes.