The Times Under Fire After Zohran Mamdani Report Draws Backlash. The New York Times is under fire after a report on mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s college application stirred controversy. The article, published Thursday, claimed Mamdani selected both “Asian” and “Black or African American” on his 2009 Columbia University application. According to the piece, Mamdani verified this directly with reporters during an interview.
Patrick Healy, assistant managing editor for Standards and Trust at The Times, responded to reader backlash on social media. He explained that Mamdani had felt limited by the racial categories listed and added Uganda, his birthplace, to clarify identity. Healy also noted that while the information came from a cyberattack on Columbia, the outlet confirmed all details with Mamdani before publishing.
Despite that, The Times under fire from critics who called the report unethical and politically motivated. Liberal commentator Keith Olbermann condemned the article and accused The Times of abandoning journalistic standards. He argued that in any previous era, such reporting would have triggered resignations in the newsroom. Others echoed similar concerns, especially about using data sourced from a hack, even if later confirmed.
The backlash grew when Times columnist Jamelle Bouie insulted the article’s reporting team on the social platform Bluesky. Bouie referred to one reporter as having “no actual brain activity,” sparking further internal tension. After deleting the posts, Bouie acknowledged that they had violated The Times’ social media standards and issued a brief apology.
The Times under fire yet again, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Bouie also declined to offer further remarks following his deleted posts. Meanwhile, readers and media critics questioned the decision-making behind publishing the article and the paper’s handling of the aftermath.
This situation reflects growing divisions within newsrooms over ethics, transparency, and political neutrality. With a major election looming, the public is watching how trusted outlets manage stories involving personal data and political narratives. As The Times under fire faces mounting scrutiny, its credibility may depend on how it handles internal accountability going forward.
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