I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration; The New York Times, September 5, 2018

Anonymous, The New York Times;

I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration

 

[Kip Currier: The New York Times' controversial decision to publish on September 5, 2018 an anonymous Op-Ed essay penned by a "senior official" within the Trump administration, triggers a rash of thought-stirring, thorny ethical questions:

Chief among them: What were the considerations in deciding whether to permit the senior official to publish the Op-Ed essay anonymously? (--And did The Times and "Anonymous" discuss revealing the individual's identity at some point in the future?)]

Who were the stakeholders that were and were not considered by The Times' editorial staff in making this decision?

What roles are The Times' editorial staff assuming in publishing this piece by Anonymous?

Has The Times communicated sufficient transparency about its editorial decision-making?]

"The Times today is taking the rare step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay. We have done so at the request of the author, a senior official in the Trump administration whose identity is known to us and whose job would be jeopardized by its disclosure. We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers. We invite you to submit a question about the essay or our vetting process here...."

[Excerpt]

"The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making."