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Top 'Times' Editors Step Down

Aired June 05, 2003 - 13:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Top editors have resigned under fire today at what is arguably the most prestigious newspaper in the United States. Howell Raines quit as the executive editor, Gerald Boyd stepped down as the managing editor of "The New York Times." The resignations follow a plagiarism scandal involving former "Times" reporter Jayson Blair.
CNN's Michael Okwu joining us from New York City with more on all this.

Michael, if you've been following this closely, it's not that huge a surprise, is it?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course, it's not a big surprise. This has been a long, dark chapter in the history of "The New York Times," Miles. Lots of people were wondering when this day may come.

The question was, whether it would be just one of these men or two of them. Of course, Howell Raines, the executive editor of "The New York Times," and Gerald Boyd, the managing editor, announcing this morning that they would be leaving "The New York Times." It was announced at a 10:30 staff meeting of "The New York Times." It last for about 20 minutes. Both of the men spoke, followed by Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of "The New York Times."

We are beginning now, Miles, to get the tricklings of some of the effects of this resignation. One staff member came before a gaggle of reporters just behind me, in front of the headquarters of "The New York Times," to say that she was overwhelmed with joy that Howell Raines, who essentially ruled "The New York Times" under a sense of fear that he was unapproachable. Undoubtedly, other people will have other opinions.

Sulzberger came forward with a statement, Miles, that read as follows: "Howell and Gerald have tendered their resignations. And I have accepted them with sadness based on what we believe is best for 'The Times.' They have made enormous contributions during their tenure, including an extraordinary seven Pulitzer Prizes in 2002 and another this year. I appreciate all of their efforts in continuing the legacy of the great newspaper."

Both of these men, of course, highly respected, up until this point. Lena Williams, a union representative for "The New York Times," saying that their resignations were directly related to Jayson Blair. Blair, of course, being a former "New York Times" reporter, who essentially, fraudulently represented facts in more than 70 incidents over the last couple of years.

She said that there is anger out there, anger specifically from some of her colleagues, that he has brought chaos onto "The Times" and that he has impugned the reputations of many here.

And another interesting point about Raines and Boyd. She went on to say that many staff members here believe that if the two men had really done their jobs, then this never would have happened.

In the meantime, we understand that Jayson Blair himself has contacted CNN in an e-mail, in which he writes -- and I'm quoting again -- "I am sorry to hear that more people have fallen in this sequence of events that I unleashed. I wish the rolling heads had stopped with mine."

Again, Miles, a very dark chapter for "The New York Times." Joseph Lelyveld, however, the former executive editor of "The New York Times," will be taking over as the interim executive editor, pending a more formal announcement.

Back to you.

O'BRIEN: Michael, that note of contrition, which we've received here at CNN from Jayson Blair, not in keeping with some of the statements he's made which amounted to really boastfulness in the wake of this. And you have the sense that he's doing everything he can to cash in on it, which makes it all the more unfortunate.

Let me just ask you this. With that as a preamble to all this, are we apt to see more heads rolling?

OKWU: That's an interesting question. At this point, it seems that most of the staff members had issues with these two individuals. It is unlikely, based on the people I've talked to, that we're going to see more heads rolling. But you never know.

The fact is that Gerald Boyd and Howell Raines had been criticized publicly and privately by staff members of the "New York Times" for not doing enough with the Jayson Blair situation. They were accused of guiding him along, sort of turning a blind eye to many of the things that he had done in the past, including a direct warning from one of the editors at the "Times," who said, "He must go; he must stop writing for 'The Times.'"

According to these two staff members, these two men did nothing about it -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Michael Okwu. Thank you very much, appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 5, 2003 - 13:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Top editors have resigned under fire today at what is arguably the most prestigious newspaper in the United States. Howell Raines quit as the executive editor, Gerald Boyd stepped down as the managing editor of "The New York Times." The resignations follow a plagiarism scandal involving former "Times" reporter Jayson Blair.
CNN's Michael Okwu joining us from New York City with more on all this.

Michael, if you've been following this closely, it's not that huge a surprise, is it?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course, it's not a big surprise. This has been a long, dark chapter in the history of "The New York Times," Miles. Lots of people were wondering when this day may come.

The question was, whether it would be just one of these men or two of them. Of course, Howell Raines, the executive editor of "The New York Times," and Gerald Boyd, the managing editor, announcing this morning that they would be leaving "The New York Times." It was announced at a 10:30 staff meeting of "The New York Times." It last for about 20 minutes. Both of the men spoke, followed by Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of "The New York Times."

We are beginning now, Miles, to get the tricklings of some of the effects of this resignation. One staff member came before a gaggle of reporters just behind me, in front of the headquarters of "The New York Times," to say that she was overwhelmed with joy that Howell Raines, who essentially ruled "The New York Times" under a sense of fear that he was unapproachable. Undoubtedly, other people will have other opinions.

Sulzberger came forward with a statement, Miles, that read as follows: "Howell and Gerald have tendered their resignations. And I have accepted them with sadness based on what we believe is best for 'The Times.' They have made enormous contributions during their tenure, including an extraordinary seven Pulitzer Prizes in 2002 and another this year. I appreciate all of their efforts in continuing the legacy of the great newspaper."

Both of these men, of course, highly respected, up until this point. Lena Williams, a union representative for "The New York Times," saying that their resignations were directly related to Jayson Blair. Blair, of course, being a former "New York Times" reporter, who essentially, fraudulently represented facts in more than 70 incidents over the last couple of years.

She said that there is anger out there, anger specifically from some of her colleagues, that he has brought chaos onto "The Times" and that he has impugned the reputations of many here.

And another interesting point about Raines and Boyd. She went on to say that many staff members here believe that if the two men had really done their jobs, then this never would have happened.

In the meantime, we understand that Jayson Blair himself has contacted CNN in an e-mail, in which he writes -- and I'm quoting again -- "I am sorry to hear that more people have fallen in this sequence of events that I unleashed. I wish the rolling heads had stopped with mine."

Again, Miles, a very dark chapter for "The New York Times." Joseph Lelyveld, however, the former executive editor of "The New York Times," will be taking over as the interim executive editor, pending a more formal announcement.

Back to you.

O'BRIEN: Michael, that note of contrition, which we've received here at CNN from Jayson Blair, not in keeping with some of the statements he's made which amounted to really boastfulness in the wake of this. And you have the sense that he's doing everything he can to cash in on it, which makes it all the more unfortunate.

Let me just ask you this. With that as a preamble to all this, are we apt to see more heads rolling?

OKWU: That's an interesting question. At this point, it seems that most of the staff members had issues with these two individuals. It is unlikely, based on the people I've talked to, that we're going to see more heads rolling. But you never know.

The fact is that Gerald Boyd and Howell Raines had been criticized publicly and privately by staff members of the "New York Times" for not doing enough with the Jayson Blair situation. They were accused of guiding him along, sort of turning a blind eye to many of the things that he had done in the past, including a direct warning from one of the editors at the "Times," who said, "He must go; he must stop writing for 'The Times.'"

According to these two staff members, these two men did nothing about it -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Michael Okwu. Thank you very much, appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com