A remark about cable news by President Obama in a story published in The New York Times sparked debate–and then disappeared.
In a meeting with news columnists this week, the president “indicated that he did not see enough cable television to fully appreciate the anxiety after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino.”
Many journalists took to Twitter to suggest more cable news might not be the best use of Mr. Obama’s time:
An American president needs to consume more panel debates to properly assess public anxiety after terrorist events? https://t.co/MfxuonnVTW
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) December 18, 2015
The Times story was published Thursday, but by Friday morning, the reference to cable news was quietly removed, with no editor’s note on the change.
“Conspiracy! Did the administration bully the Times into removing the line? Was it inaccurate? Does this matter,” asks Ryan Kearney, who described the edit as removing a line that “made Barack Obama look bad.”