The New York Times changed a headline for a feature on MSNBC’s Katy Tur after charges of sexism on social media.
The original Saturday headline, “Katy Tur Is Tougher Than She Looks,” was changed to “Katy Tur’s Swift and Surprising Rise” later that day.
{mosads}After that headline also came under criticism, the Times put a third headline on the story: “You can’t rattle her: Katy Tur is on the rise.”
Poynter was the first to flag the changes after the backlash on Twitter.
The Times recently eliminated its public editor position, which was created in the wake of the 2003 Jayson Blair fabrication scandal to act as an internal, independent watchdog on the Times, as well as an outlet for readers’ concerns.
The Times said it will depend on an expanded commenting platform in the public editor’s place.
“We are dramatically expanding our commenting platform,” wrote publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. in an internal memo on May 31. “Currently, we open only 10 percent of our articles to reader comments. Soon, we will open up most of our articles to reader comments.
“This expansion, made possible by a collaboration with Google, marks a sea change in our ability to serve our readers, to hear from them, and to respond to them.”