The Gray Lady Winked: How the New York Times's Misreporting, Distortions and Fabrications Radically Alter History
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The Gray Lady Winked: How the New York Times's Misreporting, Distortions and Fabrications Radically Alter History Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 760 ratings
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Think a newspaper can’t be responsible for mass murder? Think again.

As flagship of the American news media, the New York Times is the world’s most powerful news outlet. With thousands of reporters covering events from all corners of the globe, the Times has the power to influence wars, foment revolution, shape economies and change the very nature of our culture. It doesn’t just cover the news: it creates it.

The Gray Lady Winked pulls back the curtain on this illustrious institution to reveal a quintessentially human organization where ideology, ego, power and politics compete with the more humble need to present the facts. In its 10 gripping chapters, The Gray Lady Winked offers readers an eye-opening, often shocking, look at the New York Times’s greatest journalistic failures, so devastating they changed the course of history.

  • How its World War II Berlin bureau chief, a known Nazi collaborator, skewed coverage in favor of the Third Reich for over a decade.
  • Its notorious coverup of the Ukraine Famine, a genocide committed by Stalin, showing that it was the newspaper's owners who directed the coverup in order to advance their own financial and ideological interests.
  • The “1619 Project," a cynical, ideologically driven attempt to revise American history by rooting the nation's birth in slavery instead of liberty.

The result is an essential look at the tangled relationship between media, power and politics in a post-truth world told with novelistic flair to reveal a uniquely powerful institution’s tortured relationship with the truth.

Most importantly of all, The Gray Lady Winked presents a cautionary tale that shows what happens when the guardians of the truth abandon that sacred value in favor of self-interest and ideology - and what this means for our future as much as for our past.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 15 minutes
  2. Author
    Ashley Rindsberg
  3. Narrator
    Esosa Edosomwan
  4. Audible release date
    October 6, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Midnight Oil Publishers
  7. ASIN
    B09HW1K6V8
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 15 minutes
Author Ashley Rindsberg
Narrator Esosa Edosomwan
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 06, 2021
Publisher Midnight Oil Publishers
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B09HW1K6V8
Best Sellers Rank #35,694 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#87 in Conservatism & Liberalism
#273 in Political Commentary & Opinion
#301 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
760 global ratings
A MUST Read for Anyone Who Has Ever Believed the New York Times
5 Stars
A MUST Read for Anyone Who Has Ever Believed the New York Times
This book is very well researched, and for anyone who doubts what's written in its pages, all they need do is go to their library and pull the old NYT stories to verify how the paper "misreported," to use Mr. Rindsberg's euphemism. The arrogance of its reporters and publishers is truly astonishing. The power the New York Times has had over the past century-plus is frightening when you learn, through this book, how many times and at such important historical moments, the paper distorted and fabricated the truth. Of course, the NYT continues to do so to this day. One only has to look at their 1619 Project where they have revised American history to tell their readers that the American Revolution was fought to maintain slavery. (What's even more frightening is that the 1619 Project is now being taught as America's history in thousands of high schools throughout our country.)As a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism, I would gladly donate a copy of this book for each student if I thought for one second that that leftist school would actually encourage its students to read the book and use it as a teaching tool. It should be required reading for ALL future and current journalists, but especially those at the New York Times and in the rest of the legacy media.
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Top reviews from the United States

James Halpert
5.0 out of 5 stars Affirming to the skeptics; enlightening to the hoodwinked
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021
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Very enjoyable read. As a major history buff, I enjoyed the context the author added to all his examples of when the New York Times flat got things wrong (whether innocently or purposely). I found myself reading far into the night, fascinated by what finding the author would present next. I have never been a fan of the New York Times, but I think this book makes a larger point than even the author attempts to make, which is that all news sources should be carefully looked into for accuracy by their readers/watchers/listeners. Some may not agree with the politics of the author, but if one isn't willing to read this because of their own bias, they should rethink that decision. This is worth the read no matter what side of the isle you find yourself on. Admittedly, skeptics of major media will find this enjoyable because it will affirm many of their reasons for being skeptical in the first place. That being said, this is solidly researched, adequately quoted, and well resourced. Even those that find the major media outlets still trustworthy might find an irrefutably good reason or two to think otherwise after reading this book.
7 people found this helpful
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Marketpupil
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening book on the fake news machine that is the New York Times
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2022
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While I was aware of some of the fabricated and often one sided stories published by the NY Times, the depth of their propaganda machine took me by surprise. This book is very well researched, shines a light in the deep, dark corners of the reporting of NY Times. Just because a newspaper is a "brand" doesn't mean they should be just taken at face value. Decades back when there were far fewer sources of information, these newspapers got away with shenanigans, but they continue their brazen practices even today. Hopefully, they will get called out more in service of the truth.

Printing Nazi propaganda that Poland invaded Germany, pushing Stalin's propaganda when there was a famine in Russia because of Stalin's policies are just a couple of the many brazen examples of deeply disturbing fake news by NY Times. And get this - NYT reporters won Pulitzers for this fake news! A docufilm called Mr Jones (which is an excellent movie) shows what the NYT journalist Walter Durant did in Moscow when he was reporting on Stalin's Russia.

Overall, a must read book for folks interested in the truth and how these big name newspapers get away with outright lies. I can assure you that you will not put down the book once you start reading it!

Very brave of the author to take on a giant like NYT staking his credibility, his career, opening himself to scrutiny and attacks. In the process, he brings some sordid tales to the fore.
15 people found this helpful
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David J.
4.0 out of 5 stars Would have been more powerful with Trump/Russia hoax information
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2022
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This is a great book, don't get me wrong. But Mr. Rindsberg left out something really important: the entire history of the Russia collusion hoax that last about 4 years. And the NYT was a big player in that disaster. He did a great job with all the other issues with the papers reporting, but he really blew it with regards to Trump/Russia reporting with the Grey Lady. Overall, I think this is a great book to have in your library.
5 people found this helpful
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Ronaele Whittington
5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive scholarship and documentation
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
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More than ever before, with a small budget, I support independent journalists. I subscribe to the local paper because I appreciate the devoted delivery person who brings the print edition at 4:00 a.m. , and did so consistently during three years of lockdown. In other words, I look to authors like Rindsberg for thoughtful explorations of contemporary issues. I want accurate information that helps me think for myself. I look to trusted neighbor/messengers to deliver the news as in years long gone. Thank you for this relevant and revealing book about the Gray Lady.
11 people found this helpful
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Cari Corbet-Owen
5.0 out of 5 stars i felt sad, angered and alarmed as i read this book
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
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I felt sad that so much of what is fed to us is untrue and distorted and i felt angered that an institution so trusted by so many millions has been on the ‘wrong side’ of history in so many major world events. And now the question i’m left asking is…. Does the NY Times report or create history? The answer to that question should leave everyone feeling as alarmed as i do.
One person found this helpful
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Will824
5.0 out of 5 stars “All the News That’s Fit to Print” - but if it is in the interest of the New York Times
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2021
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This should be mandatory reading in every journalism school and for every high school or college newspaper reporter or editor. It is a stunning reveal as to how the New York Times has for decades dishonestly chosen to report, not to report and otherwise to manipulate the news solely to advance its corporate interests and preferred narratives.

The author reviews a number of major
stories in the newspaper over the last 100 years or so, asks questions that reporters or editors should have asked but never did if facts mattered and notes the personal connections and political ambitions of the reporters and/or the family who control the paper. By doing so in a straightforward and unemotional way, the author debunks any notion that the New York Times should be taken seriously, much less as a supposed newspaper of record. Some of the paper’s terrible journalism is well known - the tragedy of how and why the paper refused to cover the Holocaust in any serious way (and as a result may indirectly have led to the deaths of innumerable innocent people) has been the subject of countless high school and college theses. Relatedly, like its Holocaust non-coverage, the newspaper’s bizarre, laser-like, decades-long focus on relentlessly criticizing the Jewish State of Israel while equally relentlessly downplaying or ignoring altogether those sworn to its extinction, merits a psychological analysis of any number of people but that I’m in no position to make. But the book has much more, eg the Walter Duranty story. Duranty won a Pulitzer for the paper justifying Stalin’s approach to the various problems confronting the Soviet Union in the 1930’s thereby buttressing Stalin’s position and credibility. The Times acknowledged decades later that Duranty’s reporting on the Ukraine, including the famine there in the early 1930s, was “slovenly” but still would not return the Pulitzer; the approach David Halberstam and Neil Sheehan took on reporting on the Diem regime in Vietnam in the early 60’s, including their dealings with President Kennedy, is painful to read and may also have cost countless lives (but did win Halberstam and the Times a Pulitzer). The book concludes with the author’s analysis of the paper’s recently published 1619 Project, yet another Pulitzer winner fro the paper. From a journalistic perspective, as the author points out, that project is yet another story of a New York Times narrative pushed by reporters, editors and a publisher irrespective of the facts or any serious analysis. Even though, as the book also points out, the 1619 project has been severely criticized by historians who have spent their entire lives researching and writing about the history of the founding of our country, the Times not only continues to tout the project but has commercialized it to sell to schools.

Each chapter in the book can be read as a standalone piece making for easy, but still very disturbing, reading.
51 people found this helpful
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Better than the store bought version
5.0 out of 5 stars So interesting
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2024
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It is crazy to realize that our media has been SO biased since.... forever.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shanmukh
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insight into New York Times
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
The book covers a subset of the lies, distortions and half-truths purveyed by the New York Times. The book focuses on US audiences and what is interesting to them. Misses out the other points. Well written and engaging with a good view of how New York Times works.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Get to know what happens behind the scenes
Reviewed in Spain on May 22, 2023
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Great book about what happens behind the scenes. I've watched an interview with the author, and the book has it all. It didn't surprise me much, yet it is a good "eye-opener."

Easy to read!
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Ruben N.
5.0 out of 5 stars Die verschwiegene Geschichte der NYT
Reviewed in Germany on May 8, 2023
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Die NYT hat eine dunkle, eine sehr dunkle Seite, von der dieses Buch berichtet. Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches schaut man mit anderen Augen auf die vielleicht angesehenste Quelle internationaler Nachrichten.
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Kindle Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Meh.
Reviewed in India on March 5, 2022
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Nothing great or even very interesting. Ok read.
Was expecting some great revelations... but meh!
3 people found this helpful
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giorgio vincenti
5.0 out of 5 stars An important book
Reviewed in Italy on May 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book examines the history of the New York Times and its profound and arguably negative influence on readers' beliefs. The facts illustrated are well documented. I was surprised to discover that the NYT had had a positive view of Hitler's Germany.
The book is certainly interesting and a good read.
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