Daniel Chomsky

The mechanisms of management control at the New York Times

Many explanations for news media behavior focus on the biases of journalists, neglecting the structural constraints they face. Others have theorized that the power of ownership limits the autonomy of reporters and represents a significant influence on news coverage. This article examines the internal records of the New York Times and identifies several mechanisms of management control. Editors suggest the tone and substance of stories and later the content and significance of stories that reporters submit. Owners establish editorial polices and intervene directly in news decisions. And they shape the ideological environment through their power to hire, promote and fire.

“An Interested Reader”: Measuring Ownership Control at the New York Times

Scholars assert that patterns of media ownership affect news coverage and quality of information, but measuring the influence of media owners on their institutions is difficult. Owners, editors, and reporters usually deny that owners intervene in news decisions. This article examines memos between the late owner and publisher of the New York Times Arthur Hays Sulzberger and editor Turner Catledge. These memos indicate that the publisher frequently intervened in news decisions, and the editor usually tried to satisfy the owners demands. The internal record reveals practices that allowed the owner to exert influence without being observed by reporters.