Those were different times.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Oct 23, 2003 5:36 am

The New York Times and the Pulitzer board is agonizing over whether Walter Duranty's prize for reporting from the Soviet Union, which, uh, kind of glossed over the famine, should be rescinded.Let it be. Otherwise, they'd have to reconsider the prizes for things like interviews with presidents and archbishops, or even the one given in 2002 to Thomas Friedman, recognizing his "clarity of vision."

Rio · **Posted:** Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:23 am

I disagree. Duranty did more than gloss over the reality of Stalin's Soviet Union; he ignored it completely.Phil, I find your position ironic, given that the only paper that has ever given back a Pulitzer is yours, and the circumstances were similar. Janet Cooke won a Pulitzer by making up a story that was discovered to be totally false. When she was discovered, the Post gave back the prize.So how is the Duranty case be any different?[ October 24, 2003: Message edited by: Gary Kirchherr ]

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:43 am

Fine. Rescind the award (the Times can't give it back because it doesn't have it.). I was just trying to suggest that everyone just forget about an old, meaningless prize and take care of business.

pzicari · **Posted:** Fri Oct 24, 2003 11:40 pm

For once, I agree with Blanp. There really ought to be a statute of limitations on embarrassments. And before the Times starts to flagellate itself, it might do well to look at the other nominees for the season -- it is possible that all the competition was that much worse?

Bolder1 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 25, 2003 1:01 am

It's kind of piling on at this point. Everyone now knows it was flawed reporting, but it's not like anyone outside of newspaper journalism cares who wins a Pulitzer. Best we can hope for is that Duranty is held up as an example, much like I'm sure Jayson Blair will be.

ramblerdan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 30, 2003 3:39 pm

I'd be more interested in seeing Kissinger's Nobel Peace Prize taken away.

SusanV · **Posted:** Thu Oct 30, 2003 10:27 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by ramblerdan:
I'd be more interested in seeing Kissinger's Nobel Peace Prize taken away.<hr></blockquote>Yasser Arafat, call your office!

Rio · **Posted:** Fri Oct 31, 2003 2:19 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by SusanV:
Yasser Arafat, call your office!<hr></blockquote>TouchÃ©.

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