"It seems that in the New York Times's Manhattan offices, to write forcefully about the subject is one thing, to speak publicly about how you would boycott the event quite another."

The Guardian's Ed Pilkington looks at the New York Times' internal battle over Karen Crouse's assertion that she would prefer not to cover the Masters due to the club's membership policies.

Both Crouse's original expression of her desire to boycott the Masters, and her editor's rebuff of her, prompted heated debate on Twitter. Many users backed the reporter, such as Alena Bubniak who tweeted: "Applauding – and following – NY Times reporter Karen Crouse @bykaren for speaking up".

EV Newsome-Burt tweeted: "I'm boycotting [the Times] because of Joe Sexton's sexist workplace bullying of Karen Crouse over the sexist Master tournament".

The opposing view was put by Keny Sloop on Twitter who wrote: "Cover the News. Don't make it."

The internal ethics of the New York Times are unlikely to bother the Augusta National much.

Comments

[Peter]

So what. Dont go.

[Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

Journalistic integrity is not what it used to be, hence the "internal battle".

[BrianS]

Alan Shipnuck's book, The Battle for Augusta National, does a great job covering the last iteration of this issue. In particular, he covers how the Times' efforts in support of Burke's crusade, and how it ultimately backfired. Great read, no matter what your opinion of Augusta National's policy.

[Tim]

Read the ethics manual

http://www.nytco.com/press/ethics.html#voting


92. Staff members may not march or rally in support of public causes or movements or sign advertisements or petitions taking a position on public issues. They may not lend their names to campaigns, benefit dinners or similar events if doing so might reasonably raise doubts about their ability or their newsroom's ability to remain neutral in covering the news. Neighbors and other outsiders commonly see us as representatives of our institution.

93. Staff members ... should avoid expressing views that go beyond the news and analysis that could properly appear under their regular bylines. Op-Ed columnists and editorial writers enjoy more leeway than others in speaking publicly, because their business is expressing opinions. They should nevertheless choose carefully the forums in which they appear and protect the impartiality of our journalism.

[Mark]

Send Crouse to Eldrick. He'll straighten her out.

[gov. lepetomane]

In order to feel like I'm playing a proper role in the protest I intend to boycott any action interpreted as boycotting.
The NYT and ANGC . . . take note.
You haven't seen the last of Nix . . . er, ahh, lepetomane.

[East End Golfer]

Ignored in this debate is Ms. Crouse's writing.
The opening in today's NYT piece refers to "Delphian greens." How ostentatious. I had to pause to consider the significance of Delphi, before concluding she was suggesting "inscrutable." Delphian is even the more obscure adjective referring to Delphi, with Delphic being the less obscure. The rest of the article was, in a word, boring.

[Media driven]

Maybe all the female reporters can band together and boycott. Would anyone miss Miss Brennan, Crousse, Hauser and their cohorts?

[Hank]

Squabbling amongst liberals- how delicious!

I suspect another manufactured gender based issue; NYT is known for that

[Chuck]

... And, a number of us are still waiting for a Times response on whether Crouse has any attribution for the alleged old quote from Clifford Roberts, about the goflers being white and the caddies being black.

If that quote takes down Karen Crouse and Rick Reilly together, I'd call it killing two birds with one stone.

I wouldn't speculate on what the Times' fact-checkers might come up with, but I've never seen any good attribution for it.