NYT public editor critical of tech column

Margaret Sullivan, the public editor of the New York Times, criticizes a column written by tech writer Nick Bilton about cancer and cell phones.

Sullivan writes, “Here’s my take: Mr. Bilton’s writing on technology — on which he’s often engaging and informative — doesn’t make him a health or science expert.  It is, of course, possible for a non-expert to write effectively on a complicated subject but, when that happens, extra checking and caution is in order.  That didn’t happen here.

“And although Mr. Bilton is a columnist, with plenty of leeway for expressing opinion, the careful interpretation of facts still matters.  That, too, was lacking.

“What’s more, the original web headline felt like click bait, although it certainly reflected the top of the column. Toning it down was a smart move — in fact, a necessity.  That change happened after Times Science staff members saw the first headline online and objected, Mr. Emmrich told me.

“The column clearly needed much more vetting, at least some of which could have been done internally at The Times. The topic itself is a worthy one, and I don’t object to its appearing in Styles; placement isn’t the issue. But sophisticated evaluation of serious research surely is.”

Read more here.