Times subscribers are fleeing in wake of climate change column
People are still hating on New York Times columnist Bret Stephens — with a “#ShowYourCancellation” movement growing on social media over the weekend — following his controversial piece on climate change.
Beth Holbrook wrote, “Cancelled @nytimes subscription. As a scientist, I take offense at BS opinion pieces misrepresenting scientific facts #ShowYourCancellation.”
Marlene Amaro added, “Trusted NYT all my life……oh well.”
Stephens, who worked at the Wall Street Journal before arriving at the Times earlier this month, penned his very first column for the paper last week — which was titled, “Climate of Complete Certainty.”
It ran online Friday and in print the next day.
In it, Stephens argued that “claiming total certainty about the science” of climate change — and not accepting both sides of the argument — ultimately “traduces the spirit of science and creates openings for doubt whenever a climate claim proves wrong.”
While he didn’t give his opinion on the subject, the piece sparked overwhelming outrage from what he described as “the nasty left.”
The furor remained throughout the weekend, with countless media outlets, journalists, scientists and others calling on the Times to fire Stephens.
Many canceled their subscriptions and then posted proof online — taking pictures of the paper’s emailed responses to them leaving.
“We’re sorry to see you go and hope we may be able to serve you again in the future,” the messages read.
But not everyone was scrapping their subscriptions.
Tom Nichols, a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College and an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, was one of several people to come to Stephens’ defense Sunday, as he continued to be hounded by social media users.
“I’ve read the @BretStephensNYT piece multiple times. It never said what its critics claimed, and now to say this is pure hysteria,” Nichols tweeted.
Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote: “Readers cancelling @nytimes cuz of @BretStephensNYT are mirror image of Breitbarters. They don’t want debate; want prejudices confirmed.”
Will Federman, mananging editor at The Tylt, added: “What if you think that Bret Stephens column is stupid and the NYT is still a good paper?”
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