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NYT Writes Article About Its Own Employees Revolting Against The NYT’s Decision To Publish Tom Cotton’s Op-Ed

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Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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The New York Times wrote an article about its own employees criticizing the publication’s decision to post an op-ed from Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton Wednesday.

Cotton’s op-ed called for America to “send in” the U.S. military in an attempt to “restore order” amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. The protests have been both peaceful and destructive, and President Donald Trump previously vowed to deploy the U.S. military if states did not call in the National Guard.

Following publication, NYT staffers openly revolted, tweeting their apparent disgust with the decision. Many shared the same message on Twitter Wednesday:

“Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger.”

The NYT published an article about the revolt of its own employees later Wednesday. It is currently titled “Senator’s ‘Send In the Troops’ Op-Ed in The Times Draws Online Ire.”

“Staff members at the newspaper, including a Pulitzer winner, denounced an opinion essay by Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, calling for a military response to protests,” the article notes.

This article was written by NYT reporter Marc Tracy and not by the opinion editor of the publication as a defense. It does, however, include editorial page editor James Bennett’s public response explaining why he decided to publish Cotton’s op-ed.

“Times Opinion owes it to our readers to show them counter-arguments, particularly those made by people in a position to set policy,” Bennet tweeted. “We understand that many readers find Senator Cotton’s argument painful, even dangerous. We believe that is one reason it requires public scrutiny and debate.”

The NYT article even notes that it asked its own communications team for comment on the situation:

“When asked for comment, a spokeswoman for The Times referred to Mr. Bennet’s Twitter thread,” the article reads.

In addition to drawing ire from reporters of the NYT, the NewsGuild of New York also issued a statement about the article. The NewsGuild of New York represents NYT journalists, according to the NYT.

The union said the op-ed “promotes hate” during “a particularly vulnerable moment in American history,” according to the NYT.

“This is a particularly vulnerable moment in American history,” the union wrote according to a statement. “Cotton’s Op-Ed pours gasoline on the fire. Media organizations have a responsibility to hold power to account, not amplify voices of power without context and caution.”

The NYT has published op-ed’s from many controversial figures, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani. (RELATED: NYT Caves To Backlash, Changes Headline About Trump’s Vow To Deploy US Military Amid Riots)