Top Bush Aide Admits Altering Article

Paper May Take Legal Action Against Bush Aide
UPDATE: Paper May Take Legal Action Against Bush Aide
By Joe Strupp
Published: May 31, 2006
E & P

The top editor of Syracuse (N.Y.) New Times, which saw its profile of President Bush's new chief domestic advisor altered and reposted on his Web site, calls the incident "insulting" and said she plans to consult a lawyer about possible legal action.

"What is getting lost here is that he changed quotes, that is getting lost here," Molly English, who has served as editor-in-chief of the alternative weekly for five years, told E&P today. "I find it insulting and his excuse is awfully lame."

English's comments came a day after the newly appointed domestic policy advisor, Karl Zinsmeister, acknowledged taking the 2004 New Times profile of him and changing both quotes and text. He then reposted it on the Web site of the American Enterprise Institute magazine, which he edits -- still under the New Times author's byline. The article, by New Times staffer Justin Park, had been written because Zinsmeister lived in the Syracuse area.

After the New York Sun revealed that Zinsmeister had posted the altered copy, and The Washington Post quoted Zinsmeister as admitting the change, the issue arose at a White House press briefing Tuesday where press secretary Tony Snow was forced to defend the action.

One of his quotes he changed was originally published as: "People in Washington are morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings." The Post carried an editorial today suggesting that the White House probably wished it could revise plenty of newspaper articles it did not like. It also coined a word for such actions: "Zinsmeistered."

Zinsmeister has said that he merely "corrected" misquotes and wrong impressions in the original article, but Park has released an email from Zinsmeister shortly after the article appeared in which he praised it for fairness and accuracy. He also told Park he wanted to help him with his further journalistic efforts -- then took his article and revised it before re-posting it without permission.

"That press briefing yesterday was pathetic, it is very patronizing," English said. "The more I think about it, the more upset I get." At the briefing, Snow said that Zinsmeister should not be judged on this incident alone (see other E&P article on this site).

Park, a three-year staff writer, told E&P today he had "a little bit of anger" at Zinsmeister. "We had a very cordial interview and we left on good terms," he recalled. "I feel a little bit burned by that. I don't see why he needed to change quotes."

Park also criticized the Post for writing a story about him without seeking his comment. "If I ever handed an editor a story like that, she would laugh in my face."

English said the paper had not decided if it will, or can, take any legal action against Zinsmeister for altering its content and presenting it as the original version. But she said a lawyer is being consulted. "It is a tough one. I am not sure, frankly, what we could do," she said. "We haven't gotten to that point."

The weekly paper, which publishes on Wednesdays, is expected to have a follow-up story on the issue, by Park, next week, English said. "Justin is going to write a story about what has happened," she said.

When asked what she thought of someone like Zinsmeister being appointed to a high-level White House position, English said, "these guys don't think the rules apply to them."

A new term, "zinsmeistering," appeared at Wikipedia today, defined as: "The practice of reprinting news stories under the original author's bylines, but re-written to suit your purpose."