They come to praise & bury Bari
The abrupt Tuesday resignation of New York Times Opinion writer and editor Bari Weiss sent shockwaves through Twitter — the platform she labeled the paper’s “ultimate editor.”
Weiss, formerly one of the most prominent centrist voices at the Gray Lady, on Tuesday released her resignation letter to Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger, in which she described an “illiberal environment” governed by trends on Twitter and workplace “bullying” over her views.
Voices on the platform swiftly weighed in on both sides of the issue — and the political aisle.
“If someone like @bariweiss feels like she can’t do her best work at the@nytimes they should make some real changes over there,” wrote former 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang.
“Wow…. If you read only one thing this week, read this eloquent, profound, incisive—and true—letter,” wrote Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, linking to Weiss’ letter.
Added Donald Trump Jr., “NYT editor @bariweiss resigns in STUNNING fashion & exposes the Times’ rampant attacks on anyone who breaks from the far-left narrative.”
Others had no sympathy, accusing Weiss of playing the victim.
“Bari Weiss seems to have no idea whatsoever how many of her peers have had to negotiate far deeper and consequential corporate hypocrisies, greater professional slights, and actual danger for every day of their entire careers,” opined Franklin Leonard, founder of the annual volume of the best unproduced screenplays, The Black List.
“Bari Weiss, so desperate to prove the existence of cancel culture that she canceled herself,” tweeted writer Maura Quint.
Comedy writer Mike Drucker cracked wise, “Bari Weiss feverishly writing a column about cancel culture where she criticizes Bari Weiss for letting Bari Weiss go from the New York Times.”
As for Weiss’ next move, conservative commentator Andrew Sullivan wrote, “I’d say Bari’s future is a lot more promising than the NYT’s.”
Later on Tuesday, he announced his own resignation from New York magazine, saying only that his reason was “self-evident.”