A Few Words About the NY Times Profound Coverage of the 2009 'Beer Summit'

Posted by Eric Boehlert, Media Matters for America at 2:22 PM on July 31, 2009.

Three Times reporters live blogged the event (i.e the photo op), which is just too dumb for words. Everybody in D.C. knew there would be no actual news from the White House visit from Prof. Louis Gates and Sgt. James Crowley. That was a given. But of course, that didn't stop the press from over-covering the non-event. In fact, I think the promise of news-free event only encouraged more coverage because it took the pressure off reporters to do any reporting.

Anyway, this was the Times headline online for its pointless coverage:

What a White House Beer Says About Race and Politics

What's so significant about the headline? It was a rather lame attempt by Times editors prop up the shallow coverage as being deeply important (i.e. "Race and Politics"!). Trust me, the live-blogging the Times posted online had zero to do with the state or race in America and zero to do with our politics. Instead, the coverage was just insipid. It was three Times reporters basically sitting around the watching paint dry and pretending it was something much different and more important.  

A taste:

They’re Here | 5:42 p.m.

Helene Cooper: A White House official says both Professor Gates and Sgt. James Crowley and their respective families have arrived and are in the building.

Everyone is getting along so far, the official said.

A more accurate and honest headline above the train wreck coverage would have read:

What a White House Beer Says About The Beltway Media

P.S. Nice touch by Times reporters to include as part of their coverage a link to a far-right National Review hit piece on Obama and race.

P.P.S It gets worse ...

(h/t Glenn Greenwald)

UPDATED: It's even worse when the above two come to life. Much, much worse.

Tagged as: media, obama, new york times, gates, beer summit