NPR

Journalism's Battles Are On Display In Jill Abramson's 'Merchants Of Truth'

The former New York Times editor's examination of four news outlets pits new against old, mercenary versus honorable — and is unlikely to inspire the next generation of journalists.
Jill Abramson, former executive editor at <em>The New York Times</em> walks in with faculty and staff during commencement ceremonies for Wake Forest University on May 19, 2014 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Abramson delivered the commencement address at the university.

"Everyone knows there is a good Jill and a bad Jill."

In her new book, Merchants of Truth, Jill Abramson writes that this is what New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said to her before he gave her the job of executive editor in 2011.

Over the course of the book, it becomes clear what he means: In the good category are her tenacity and drive. In the bad are her ruthlessness and arrogance. It is possible that these are all words for the same thing. Whatever it is, it made her the first female executive editor of , and it got her fired three years later.

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