Fully agree with your sentiment here -- it was a huge mistake by the Times to let Pamela Paul go. I always knew when I saw an editorial by her that it would be thoughtful and cogent, even the few times when I found myself disagreeing with her.
I wish she had been less circumspect about the reason(s) for her departure. Too many commenters are asking why she is leaving, as if it had been entirely her choice. As she writes today, "the truth may be hard for some people to hear, but the truth should never be hard for journalists to tell." If the NYT has decided to jettison staff who voice problematic views, it should be as open about that decision as Bezos recently was about the new opinion policy at WaPo.
She was too good for the current NYT. It was surprising that they published her pieces at all, that the “sensitivity readers” allowed them. Time to cancel my subscription again.
Thank you for this. Like others here, I wrote a comment on her piece thanking her for her work. I am hoping she may come over to Substack, as Krugman has done, and where she will be much freer to write as she would like.
What bums me out the most about this is that I fear that NY Times readers, who are unlikely to read this substack or receive any other information that investigates the trans issue through a critical lens, will now be even less likely to learn about how complicated this issue is, and how much harm is being done to kids and society. I appreciate articles and OpEds in the NYT and other left-leaning media, that call out the lack of scientific evidence, and the harms of gender-affirming care, because I can forward them to people and they will read them, which they are less likely to do if the article comes from FOX or other media they consider vile.
Her columns were one of the reasons I've often been willing to grant the NYT (marginally) higher status than other legacy outlets in regards to capture by progressive ideologues. If no one steps up to fill that void I'll have to rethink my views on that.
I'm tempted to read dark intentions behind her leaving the Times, and I may well be right. But I wont pretend I know for sure. Not yet, anyway. At any rate, found this article with more background information. Take it for what it's worth.
Yes, this makes me sad too. I was so hoping the Left wouldn’t dig in on this issue more bc the Right is against it but it seems like this might be happening. Maybe she will write her own book on illiberalism in journalism. Hey, why don’t you and Pamela Paul co-author? It does make me think more about canceling my subscription. Meanwhile Masha Gessen and Lydia Polegreen carry on, sigh.
Thank you Lisa Selin Davis! I agree and I did send in a comment on Pamela Pauls' final column. But my thoughts are not very complimentary to the NYT, so....
I hope you reach out to her Lisa Selin Davis, with some "joining forces" ideas in mind for perhaps building yet another institution that could rise to replace the hopelessly corrupt and moribund institutions like the NYT (you know, a la Bari Weiss's media empire-building). I wanted to ask if you'd listened to the recent interview on Yasha Monk's "Persuasion" with Substack founder, Hamish McKenzie on How Substack is Transforming Public Discourse https://www.persuasion.community/p/hamish-mckenzie Towards the end of this episode, they talk about the possibility of "bundling" or allowing readers to subscribe to a flat-fee plan that gives them a set number of "tickets" each month to use on each posting from within a large universe of writers, rather than the current "a la carte" situation, where one commits to paying for access to just one writer's substack at a time. McKenzie used the phrase paying one "large sum" for a "Smorgasbord." I had the idea that "tickets" might also be used by readers to share with non-subscribers . . . there might be a reduced rate for these "shareable" tickets, because the writers would have an interest in their readers personally recommending their work to other new readers. Who knows what it could lead to?
Here's another woman to whom we should be grateful: Who is Stephanie Turner? Women's fencer who knelt to protest trans opponent and ignited global awareness
'A lot of my friends are also in the LGBT community. And I don't want them to be mad at me for this. I love them on a personal level,' Turner said
She was the best thing about the Times. I appreciated her writing so much there. This is really heartbreaking. I really want to punch the NYT in the face.
I'm not surprised. The Times has been damaged by lobbyist journalism for decades actually. The Daily Mail and New York Post must be chuckling about their inevitable rise in status for deigning to cover the trans cult disaster.
Fully agree with your sentiment here -- it was a huge mistake by the Times to let Pamela Paul go. I always knew when I saw an editorial by her that it would be thoughtful and cogent, even the few times when I found myself disagreeing with her.
She is missed.
Absolutely.
I wish she had been less circumspect about the reason(s) for her departure. Too many commenters are asking why she is leaving, as if it had been entirely her choice. As she writes today, "the truth may be hard for some people to hear, but the truth should never be hard for journalists to tell." If the NYT has decided to jettison staff who voice problematic views, it should be as open about that decision as Bezos recently was about the new opinion policy at WaPo.
I think you mean Washington Post.
Oops, yes! Thank you.
Comments are open at the NY Times if you want to express your disappointment.
I got a comment in. Phew. You never know if "heresy" will get past the moderators.
Success. Mentioned the Broadview Substack.
What happens when you try to get past the censors:
https://x.com/glennagoldis/status/1907824863265296674
Also what happens when you try to get past the censors:
"Sick of the NYT's Censorship of Gender-Critical Comments
NYT obliterates transgender-critical comments more times than I can count"
https://lisasimeone.substack.com/p/sick-of-the-nyts-censorship-on-gender
I cancelled my subscription when I heard about her being fired.
Same. (Although I kept my Games subscription because I'm a wretched addict.)
Where will she be now? I'd very much like to follow her work. Does she have a Substack?
She was too good for the current NYT. It was surprising that they published her pieces at all, that the “sensitivity readers” allowed them. Time to cancel my subscription again.
Thank you for this. Like others here, I wrote a comment on her piece thanking her for her work. I am hoping she may come over to Substack, as Krugman has done, and where she will be much freer to write as she would like.
Oh no! I’m just hearing of this. I looked forward to Pamela’s columns. Always thoughtful and thought-provoking.
What bums me out the most about this is that I fear that NY Times readers, who are unlikely to read this substack or receive any other information that investigates the trans issue through a critical lens, will now be even less likely to learn about how complicated this issue is, and how much harm is being done to kids and society. I appreciate articles and OpEds in the NYT and other left-leaning media, that call out the lack of scientific evidence, and the harms of gender-affirming care, because I can forward them to people and they will read them, which they are less likely to do if the article comes from FOX or other media they consider vile.
Her columns were one of the reasons I've often been willing to grant the NYT (marginally) higher status than other legacy outlets in regards to capture by progressive ideologues. If no one steps up to fill that void I'll have to rethink my views on that.
I'm tempted to read dark intentions behind her leaving the Times, and I may well be right. But I wont pretend I know for sure. Not yet, anyway. At any rate, found this article with more background information. Take it for what it's worth.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/pamela-paul-is-out-at-the-times-opinion-section.html
Yes, this makes me sad too. I was so hoping the Left wouldn’t dig in on this issue more bc the Right is against it but it seems like this might be happening. Maybe she will write her own book on illiberalism in journalism. Hey, why don’t you and Pamela Paul co-author? It does make me think more about canceling my subscription. Meanwhile Masha Gessen and Lydia Polegreen carry on, sigh.
Thank you Lisa Selin Davis! I agree and I did send in a comment on Pamela Pauls' final column. But my thoughts are not very complimentary to the NYT, so....
I hope you reach out to her Lisa Selin Davis, with some "joining forces" ideas in mind for perhaps building yet another institution that could rise to replace the hopelessly corrupt and moribund institutions like the NYT (you know, a la Bari Weiss's media empire-building). I wanted to ask if you'd listened to the recent interview on Yasha Monk's "Persuasion" with Substack founder, Hamish McKenzie on How Substack is Transforming Public Discourse https://www.persuasion.community/p/hamish-mckenzie Towards the end of this episode, they talk about the possibility of "bundling" or allowing readers to subscribe to a flat-fee plan that gives them a set number of "tickets" each month to use on each posting from within a large universe of writers, rather than the current "a la carte" situation, where one commits to paying for access to just one writer's substack at a time. McKenzie used the phrase paying one "large sum" for a "Smorgasbord." I had the idea that "tickets" might also be used by readers to share with non-subscribers . . . there might be a reduced rate for these "shareable" tickets, because the writers would have an interest in their readers personally recommending their work to other new readers. Who knows what it could lead to?
Nice column, it’s a huge loss for us all.
Here's another woman to whom we should be grateful: Who is Stephanie Turner? Women's fencer who knelt to protest trans opponent and ignited global awareness
'A lot of my friends are also in the LGBT community. And I don't want them to be mad at me for this. I love them on a personal level,' Turner said
Jackson Thompson By Jackson Thompson Fox News
Published April 3, 2025
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/who-stephanie-turner-womens-fencer-who-knelt-protest-trans-opponent-ignited-global-awareness
Turner, a long-time registered Democrat who broke from the party for the most recent election, says she is now a "new Republican conservative."
She switched parties over the issue of transgender athletes in women's and girls sports.
"A small group of people is holding a much larger athlete base hostage to extremist liberal views," Turner said.
She was the best thing about the Times. I appreciated her writing so much there. This is really heartbreaking. I really want to punch the NYT in the face.
I'm not surprised. The Times has been damaged by lobbyist journalism for decades actually. The Daily Mail and New York Post must be chuckling about their inevitable rise in status for deigning to cover the trans cult disaster.