'NYT' Profile of Cindy Draws Angry McCain Response -- Including Release of Email and Facebook [View All]

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Editor and Publisher

By Greg Mitchell

NEW YORK The New York Times published today a lengthy profile of Cindy McCain, including material on some of her misstatements and former drug addiction. The McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb has now labeled it "gutter journalism" and a "trash report" and released copies of what it says is an email and a Facebook message from a Times reporter allegedly "trolling" for information.

One quote from the McCain team: "This campaign made every effort to share personal accounts of Mrs. McCain's good works with the paper, but apparently they were deemed unfit for publication in the New York Times. This is gutter journalism at its worst -- an unprecedented attack on a presidential candidate's spouse.

"In order to assemble this barrage of petty and personal attacks, the New York Times employed tactics that are obviously unprofessional and almost certainly unethical. This campaign has obtained a copy of an email sent by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor to a 16-year-old girl and friend of Bridget McCain, the youngest of the McCain children. Ms. Kantor sought to dupe the unsuspecting minor by soliciting ‘advice' on how best to approach the story, as if a top-flight investigative reporter at the New York Times would need the assistance of an underage girl in writing a hit piece."

The Times article says that Cindy McCain refused requests for an interview. It does report on her charity work while also pointing out some discrepancies in how she has described a trip to Rwanda.

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