Wednesday, November 09, 2005

The Last Word On Miller               AP So Judy Miller has left the New York Times and with the last word, too, kicking the paper in the pants by posting in advance on her personal website her farewell explanatory letter that is part of the negotiated severance deal. ("Ms. Miller could not be reached for comment," reads the NYTimes story of her departure.) You'll also find at Miller's site Executive Editor Bill Keller's letter to the NYTimes staff that includes a backhanded retraction of a couple of key criticisms of Miller; it also reads like part of the settlement.  The Times story says this about the settlement and the Miller letter: Lawyers for Ms. Miller and the paper negotiated a severance package, the details of which they would not disclose. Under the agreement, Ms. Miller will retire from the newspaper, and The Times will print a letter she wrote to the editor explaining her position. Ms. Miller originally demanded that she be able to write an essay for the paper's Op-Ed page challenging the allegations against her. The Times refused that demand - Gail Collins, editor of the editorial page, said, "We don't use the Op-Ed page for back and forth between one part of the paper and another" - but agreed to let her write the letter. And, in case you missed it, the JudithMiller.org site also has Miller's riposte to NYT colleague Maureen Dowd's well-read column: "Woman of Mass Destruction." The Romenesko journalists site is alive with interpretation and criticism of this endgame. I'm just pointing you to the original, richly arch letters of everyone concerned. No one looks good here. Not a soul. -RH 9:56:57 PM    comment []

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