I was just writing a column for tomorrow. I was going to say something — not worth getting into the context right now — about not belonging to “the Church of the New York Times.” I was going to say that, one Sunday morning, I took a train ride to Washington (from New York). Everyone was reading the New York Times. It was like the paper was the Scripture, and the train seats were the pews.
I was thinking, as I was writing my column, “This will come off as extreme — over-the-top.”
Wanting to take a break from writing — as one does — I checked the news. I was reading about Jill Abramson, just tabbed to be the new chief editor of the New York Times. I read this: “In my house growing up, The Times substituted for religion. If The Times said it, it was the absolute truth.”
I don’t think I’ll worry much, about my rhetoric re the Times.