New York Times Reporter: My Blogger Critics Are “Jerking Off in Their Pajamas”
New York Times reporter James Risen broke the NSA story. Just ask him!
So when he got some flak over that Afghan minerals story from bloggers, there was no way he was just going to sit there and take it. Instead, he reached deep into his Bag of Cliches and came up with . . . a “bloggers wear pajamas” riff:
Risen didn’t take kindly to the blogospheric criticism. “Bloggers should do their own reporting instead of sitting around in their pajamas,” Risen said.
“The thing that amazes me is that the blogosphere thinks they can deconstruct other people’s stories,” Risen told Yahoo! News during an increasingly hostile interview, which he called back to apologize for almost immediately after it ended. “Do you even know anything about me? Maybe you were still in school when I broke the NSA story, I don’t know. It was back when you were in kindergarten, I think.” (Risen and fellow Times reporter Eric Lichtblau shared a 2006 Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on the Bush administration’s secret wiretapping program; this reporter was 33 years old at the time.)
Turns out they cleaned up the language. The reporter said on Twitter that Risen’s actual language was, er, slightly more pointed:
NYT’s Jim Risen just told me bloggers criticizing his Afghan minerals story are “jerking off in their pajamas.” Yahoo worried abt language.
It’s a good thing Big Media reporters aren’t arrogant. I’d hate to see what that looks like.
They’re “journalists”. They’re special. How dare you question them. Accept your betters for who they are and shut up.
rudytbone (eb3ac4) — 6/17/2010 @ 7:43 pmjim risen traitor
ColonelHaiku (523269) — 6/17/2010 @ 7:48 pmand cowardly blowhard and
in heart he know it
Mr Risen – Go f@ck yourself.
JD (41e5f8) — 6/17/2010 @ 7:48 pmDON’T YOU KNOW WHO I THINK I AM?
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 6/17/2010 @ 7:52 pmrisen a clymer
ColonelHaiku (523269) — 6/17/2010 @ 7:54 pmson of Walter Duranty
and helen thomas
They are who we thought they were.
Dennis Green (eb3ac4) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:15 pmWhat exactly was involved in “breaking” the NSA story, and did it actually necessitate Risen getting dressed and leaving his house? What I imagine happened was that a CIA person telephoned (or emailed) Risen and said he wanted to leak some stuff. Risen took dictation, and then he and Lichtblau expanded it into an article. Why was Risen chosen? Because he works for the Times and was known to be sympathetic to CIA leaks. If there was any legwork done at all here, it was probably by the leaker in finding Risen.
LTEC (a1b4a5) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:19 pm“Bloggers should do their own reporting instead of sitting around in their pajamas,”
except of course if you film a Democrat, then you’re a shill for the corporate interests of Breitbart, Roger Simon or Fox and you’ll be called not a real journalist
Hawkins (e2d052) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:28 pmGood find! I posted that Tweet at Romenesko, where Risen and his journo buddies will see it. What a naive hack!
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (fb9e90) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:30 pmhttp://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000413.html
aunursa (484069) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:33 pmI believe Risen is the definition of a “tool”.
rudytbone (eb3ac4) — 6/17/2010 @ 8:33 pmMr. Risen is in sore need of an attitude adjustment.
AD - RtR/OS! (76c972) — 6/17/2010 @ 9:33 pmI prefer to wear pajamas while watching number-one rated news-anchor Dan Rather every night on the CBS Evening News.
Beldar (a6fff6) — 6/17/2010 @ 11:42 pmHe should have faced a firing squad. fu#king traitor.
Hazy (4e0dda) — 6/18/2010 @ 4:01 am“Tool” is not the word that comes to mind. “Traitor” is much more fitting, for he has given aid and comfort to our enemies during a time of War. On multiple occasions.
Once is circumstance, twice is happenstance, thrice is enemy action. The Times, Risen, and the ‘tard I can’t spell without looking up again, have demonstrated a pattern, and practice in their behavior.
NavyspyII (df615d) — 6/18/2010 @ 5:38 amJerking off in their pajamas? Clearly a case of penis envy. Risen probably has to use tweezers to find his.
tmac (5559f7) — 6/18/2010 @ 6:13 amWhat did you expect from someone who was all too willing to sell out his country as long as he got personal glory in return, as well as helping his favorite party get back into power.
Dmac (3d61d9) — 6/18/2010 @ 7:07 amIt’s not officially news until there’s a government issued press release, or an illegal government leak to the press.
htom (412a17) — 6/18/2010 @ 8:03 amNavyspy…I consider traitors to be tools also, but I must agree with you.
rudytbone (e6656b) — 6/18/2010 @ 8:26 amSo, is a Pulitzer as good as a Nobel?? If so, I’m sure Obama is going to be looking for one of those shortly.
These idiots should be quoted exactly the way they speak. Let their readers see what kind of fools are writing their news.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 6/18/2010 @ 10:23 amNo! No firing squad for Risen.
AD - RtR/OS! (3b92f0) — 6/18/2010 @ 10:40 amThat is reserved for Honorable Men.
Traitors get the noose!
AD, too many syllables for haiku.
SPQR (26be8b) — 6/18/2010 @ 10:51 amRisen should be in prison, not writing for the Old Grey Lady. But he’s a liberal, so he goes free and even gets awards for damaging the national security of the country that supports him. Honestly, you can’t make up this stuff!
Old Bull (8b0130) — 6/18/2010 @ 2:20 pm