Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson told Fox News on Wednesday that “the idea that The New York Times is edited by a cabal of left-wing journalists is just not true,” responding to claims of left-wing bias and bullying by conservative former columnist Bari Weiss.
The comments from Abramson, who was fired by the Times in 2014, comes one day after Weiss posted a resignation letter on her web site, claiming a “hostile work environment” by fellow staffers because of her conservative views.
Weiss also alleged that editors were reluctant to go “against the grain” with pieces that could spur a backlash on social media.
But Abramson pushed back on that assertion, saying the resignation of a “junior-level opinion editor” did not “spell crisis” for the Times. She also rejected Weiss’s bias claims.
“The idea that The New York Times is edited by a cabal of left-wing journalists is just not true at all,” Abramson said.
“Most of the opinion columnists at the Times are centrists. They are center to liberal,” she later argued.
“I’m sorry if she had a rough time,” Abramson also said of Weiss, saying the Times and other organizations should never allow any bullying. “But … Bari Weiss is someone [who] has thousands of Twitter followers herself. She has been in there, on Twitter, throwing some punches herself at people she disagrees with.”
“I’m not saying she is a bully, but, you know, if you are going to dish it out, you’ve got to be ready to take it,” Abramson advised. “I learned that a long time ago.”