from Hacker News

The NYT is writting puff pieces on SBF and hit pieces on other crypto companies

by gasull on 11/16/22, 12:41 AM with 22 comments

• by g42gregory on 11/16/22, 1:12 AM

  That is to be expected. FTX was funded by influential VCs/PE firms with strong reach into the media, including NYT. Additionally, SBF was a major donor to the NYT-affiliated political establishment. It stands to reason that the paper would write nice things about him.

• by lupire on 11/16/22, 1:16 AM

  What happened to last week's meme that NYT owner ordered the staff to only write hit pieces about tech companies? Why is FTX exempt?

• by phphphphp on 11/16/22, 1:46 AM

  Media coverage is a reflection, not a conspiracy. SBF pitched himself as virtuous, so the coverage reflected that. Jesse Powell and Brian Armstrong went the opposite direction (to varying degrees) so of course the coverage of them will focus on the contrarian aspects of their approach. We can, and should, hold the media to a high standard but not all journalism is equal: not all journalism is investigative journalism. Media is mostly just whatever people want to hear. Look at the coverage of Theranos pre-reveal, it was fawning because it was what people wanted to hear.

• by DLA on 11/16/22, 2:19 AM

  Of course they are. SBF was the second largest Democratic donor and the NYT is the Democratic Party mouthpiece. All the News That Fits the Narrative.

  Imagine the NYT firestorm if SBF was a massive donor for the Republican side.

  SBF is fully corrupt. NYT is largely corrupt.

• by throwaway22032 on 11/16/22, 2:04 AM

  I can't remember a time in which news media hasn't just been entertainment in this regard.

  The Kraken co-founder having certain political views, or SBF and his mates being some sort of unattractive orgy-clique, or whatever else, is like some sort of Hello magazine gossip nonsense.

  If I were a journalist I'd be focusing on things that allow people to improve their lives. Should I invest in XYZ (actual pros and cons), is it safe or unsafe for me to drive a car, what do the elections mean for me, etc etc.

  In this specific case it would have been really easy and simple to have articles that describe how to avoid being caught up in stuff like this, with the whole gamut of advice (ranging from "just don't use it, why risk it bro" to "transact peer to peer only" to "only keep small amounts at exchanges" or whatever else).

  Instead it feels as if many publications just like to spout opinionated nonsense about whatever. It's bizarre. You don't generally go into journalism for the money, so then what's the point in giving up your ideals and just writing total crap? A complete waste of time.

• by lupire on 11/16/22, 1:17 AM

  Unreadable giant Tweet thread.

• by sidcool on 11/16/22, 2:14 AM

  What does a puff piece mean?

• by mensetmanusman on 11/16/22, 1:40 AM

  SBF was a member of the NYT donor class.

• by bergenty on 11/16/22, 1:49 AM

  I like SBF. He did a bunch of good though he fucked up FTX and screwed over investors in the process.