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September 12, 2009
Atlantic Yards Report In Search of Truth
Atlantic Yards Report
Here is an open letter to Clark Hoyt who is the New York Times' "readers' representative." The Times let stand a claim that the site of the proposed Atlantic Yards project is just the 8.5 acre Vanderbilt rail yards, when it’s actually a 22-acre site encompassing the adjoining neighborhood in Prospect Heights.
Bruce Ratner is a business partner of the New York Times.
Dear Mr. Hoyt,
Surely you've grappled with this question: how does the newspaper handle clear untruths told by government officials?
Let me give you an example--in which the Times was apprised of the lie, but still let it go into print.
On the CityRoom blog, on September 10, the Times reported on a new report on the Atlantic Yards arena from the NYC Independent Budget Office. The article was posted at 1:45 pm.
The Times quoted David Lombino, a spokesman for the NYC Economic Development Corporation, as saying that the Atlantic Yards site was "a site that is now an open railyard without any public benefit."
At 3:33 pm, I posted a comment, noting, in part: "The site’s not 'now an open railyard without any public benefit.' It’s a 22-acre site. The railyard is 8.5 acres."
However, on the September 11 print edition, on page A24, a somewhat truncated version of the CityRoom post, headlined "Report Sees Loss In Brooklyn Arena" ended with the above-mentioned quote from Lombino.
It's clearly untrue. And the Times had ample reason to know that.
Moreover, given the parent NYT Co's business relationship with Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner, the Times has a special obligation to be exacting in its coverage, and has not done so.
Your attention to this is appreciated.
Regards,
Norman Oder
Atlantic Yards Report
AtlanticYardsReport.com
Norman Oder questions the truth in Courier-Life reporting. Bruce Ratner's relationship to reporter Steve Witt is reminiscent of an old Groucho Marx quote: "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?"
Showing again why he's the reporter who prefers trusting Forest City Ratner to reading any documents, Witt reports:
Ratner also briefly took off the gloves last week at opponents of his Atlantic Yards project. His remarks came in response to this paper asking him about recent reports on opponent blogs and websites alleging that Ratner is moving away from building the affordable housing component of the project.“They [opponents] are 100 percent wrong about the affordable housing. It’s another red herring. We’re required to build affordable housing and it has been my personal commitment from the very beginning,” said Ratner.
“They [opponents] have been dead wrong about everything. What they constantly do is throw up another false statement and hope something will stick,” he added.
Well, maybe Witt could do some reading. And, perhaps, recognize that a good chunk of "affordable housing" would be above market rate.
Btw, the Daily News--not an opponent web site--did follow up on the story.
Posted by steve at September 12, 2009 9:02 AM