The paper has already made some meaningful steps in this direction. But adapting to changing reader tastes may not be easy for The Times, a name synonymous with trust and quality, but also with stuffiness and a rather muzzled sense of humor. After all, it still clings to the use of courtesy titles before people’s last names, an anachronism that may not track with the tastes of modern readers.
In May, Dean Baquet, the executive editor, told the staff that the way The Times tells stories would be changing. “Fewer stories will be done just ‘for the record,’ ” he said. “In fact, fewer traditional news stories will be done over all. Stories will relax in tone.”
Scary times we’re in. I’d personally sacrifice the Times for the greater good, a fallen soldier (just like Al Jazeera America) that goes down swinging and fighting the true fight instead of conforming to changing times. If the Times is too smart, too newsie and not viral enough, good. That’s why it’s great.