Is The Gray Lady actually a “Karen”?
That appears to be the consensus after the once-venerable New York Times was caught feeling a bit too entitled when it came to manipulating the narrative surrounding Marine veteran Daniel Penny.
Penny, whose trial has captured the nation’s attention, was defending his actions from a May 2023 encounter with mentally disturbed Michael Jackson impersonator, Jordan Neely, that ultimately ended with the latter dead following a physical confrontation.
Neely had reportedly threatened the lives of other passengers on the New York City subway when Penny intervened, putting Neely in a headlock. Neely died shortly after the incident.
Proponents of Penny have argued his actions were heroic, as he sought to selflessly neutralize a very public threat.
Critics of Penny, meanwhile, have tried to paint him as some unhinged vigilante with a racial ax to grind. (Penny is white, and Neely is black.)
Guess which avenue the Times took?
In total fairness to the New York Times, the article starts off straightforward enough.
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“Daniel Penny Is Acquitted in Death of Jordan Neely on Subway,” the headline read, which is impossible to dispute.
But then comes the first header, which raised a few eyebrows: “Mr. Penny choked Mr. Neely in a minutes-long struggle on the floor of an F train.”
Again, those are facts, but they certainly seem to be trying to sway public opinion, to say the least.
Then came the boom: “Daniel Penny, a former Marine who choked a fellow subway rider on an uptown F train last year, was acquitted on a charge of criminally negligent homicide on Monday, ending a case that had come to exemplify New York City’s post-pandemic struggles.”
Even ignoring the fact that nobody is a “former” Marine and that “post-pandemic struggles” are a boogeyman, look at the crux of that statement.
The New York Times literally makes it sound like Penny was some hooligan looking for trouble on a subway and was all too eager to join in when he found it.
And people have noticed.
“Actual in print NYT headline about Penny acquittal, in case you were wondering what a garbage newspaper is,” Commentary magazine editor John Podhoretz said. He included an image of the print edition of the Times to hammer his point home, including the original headline of “Jury Acquits Man Who Was Choking Rider on Subway.”
(As if that somehow came even close to painting a complete picture.)
Tech mogul and X owner Elon Musk echoed the “garbage” sentiment:
Garbage publication
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2024
The New York Times already updated the disgraceful front page of its print version from “Jury Acquits Man Who Was Choking Rider on Subway.”
Says Neely was just a fellow subway rider who was homeless with a history of mental illness.
No mention of him being a violent criminal. pic.twitter.com/VUn4YhLDZE
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) December 10, 2024
Reporter John LeFevre pointed out that preliminary backlash caused a swift headline change from the Times, hammering home just how bad that original angle was.
“The New York Times already updated the disgraceful front page of its print version from ‘Jury Acquits Man Who Was Choking Rider on Subway,’” LeFevre noted. “Says Neely was just a fellow subway rider who was homeless with a history of mental illness.
“No mention of him being a violent criminal.”
No mention, indeed.
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