Behind the Times:: Inside the New New York Times

An incisive examination of the world's most respected paper, Behind the Times tells the story of changing Timesian values and of a new era for the paper—a tale of editorial struggles, star columnists and critics, institutional self-importance, and the political and cultural favorites of the Times' owners and editors. Taking the reader inside the Times' newsrooms and executive offices, Diamond offers an expert, insider's appraisal of how the Times and its editors continue to shape coverage of major public events for over one million readers. Diamond goes behind the scenes to recount the paper's recent and much heralded plan to win larger audiences and hold on to its dominant position in the new media landscape of celebrity journalism and hundred-channel television.

Diamond, a journalism professor at New York University and media columnist for New York magazine, here dissects the progression of the New York Times from the formidable Gray Lady of the '50s and '60s to the multi-sectioned, reader-friendly bundle of the '90s. However, this is no slash-and-burn expose. Diamond had access to the players, from many Sulzbergers (the owning family) to rising stars (columnist Anna Quindlen) and veterans (former editor and current columnist, A. M. Rosenthal). What emerges is a portrait of a still inward-turned, often isolated culture. Diamond describes what makes "good Timesmen" in terms reminiscent of taking holy orders; Arthur Sulzberger Jr., who succeeded his father "Punch" as pubisher in 1992, has tried to encourage more women to join the Times' s priesthood. The chapter on the Book Review goes over familiar ground of outraged authors and supposed ax-grinding. Rebecca Sinkler, the present editor, as quoted here, responds to every accusation with the wry, resigned good humor of one who has said all this before. Although Diamond reports the paper's story as well as anyone, this book may tell more than anyone, except perhaps a Sulzberger, needs to know about the Gray Lady.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Those people who enjoy the tiny classified ads on the front page of the New York Times will relish all the minutiae media-watcher Diamond sees fit to print in this history of the venerable newspaper. Whether others want the blow-by-blow, day-in-the-life commentaries that run throughout the book is another question (Do we care when columnist Anthony Lewis reports to work?). Still, Diamond, the media columnist at New York magazine, has obviously had amazing access to the inner workings of the "Gray Lady," and though he was a past contributor to the Times magazine section, he is certainly more objective--and more critical--than Times men Russell Baker and James Reston, both of whom have penned more avuncular, rose-colored histories. Diamond convincingly indicts the paper's recent sellouts to the bottom line and the lowest-common denominator, the most egregious being the "little wild streak" reporting in the William Kennedy/Patricia Bowman rape case. An essential update to all serious journalism collections, this will be news for serious scholars and the ever-growing legions of media buffs.
- Judy Quinn, formerly with "Library Journal"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.