Hard times

摘要

When Howell Raines was made executive editor of the New York Times in 2001, he brought with him a reputation as a fearless and independent newsman. Within days, al-Qaeda struck the World Trade Centre, and the coverage he oversaw turned him into an editorial legend, his army of reporters winning an unprecedented number of Pulitzer prizes. Yet, not a year and a half later, the discovery of fabrication by a young reporter triggered a managerial crisis that destroyed Mr Raines's career and exposed the newspaper to ridicule for being unable to detect a pathological liar in its own newsroom. Not long afterwards, another reporter, who was also a favourite of Mr Raines's, departed as questions were being raised as to whether he had actually reported the stories appearing under his byline. A year on, many inside the world's best known paper of record and integrity still worry if its reputation can be restored.