It ain't over till the Gray Lady Sings!

Yesterday Editor and Publisher ran an article about none other than Jennifer 8 and her man in the street, Amanda Tree. I love how the Times continues to defend this ‘decision:’
Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis had told E&P: "She asked her editor if it was proper to quote [Tree] in both stories, and they said yes[emphasis added]." Mathis also said editors determined Tree "was genuine" but did not say how.
Perhaps they hit the Tomato Records web site, which alternately refers to Amanda as Tree and Trees-with-an-ess.
And isn’t it curious how Lee again says she “sought approval from editors (she would not name them) for the double-dip.” If they are so gung ho behind this decision, then why not name them? Why don't they stand up for what they publish?

Strupp says within hours of the second story's appearance in the Times, the mistake, er, 'decision' was an item in no less than the WSJ. Yes, that was me. I also tipped off Gawker, who is running with the story, though they may have had their own astute sources (they're so smart and observant over there). Still, I’m proud to have caused Ms. Lee some discomfort and hope that it teaches her to be more careful in the future (though with the volume of people sending me excerpts from her postings to her Harvard alumni yahoo group trawling for story ideas to print in the Times, this ain't over). And, yes, I am also proud to have wiped the smug, conceited smile (yes I flatter myself, but it is my blog) off the face of the old gray lady at least temporarily. The arrogance! To think that in the wake of Jayson Blair they could pull something like this (something that seems so minor, but as Amber Frey says “even a tiny lie leads to mistrust.”) and 1) no one would notice, and 2) no one would dare to question it, shows that they are still walking around in a self –induced stupor of hubris.