M. Sullivan is not here for your shit

The hubbub over the NYT eliminating its public editor position is fertile ass grounds for hot takes a-plenty, but I’ve found this Q&A between BuzzFeed EIC Ben Smith and the NYT’s former (and most iconic) public editor Margaret Sullivan, to be the most enlightening read on just what, exactly, the public editorship was supposed to do + why it’s a BFD that it’s gone + why Marg Sullivan is an all-around badass.
Especially love this tidbit, when they talk about why the NYT obituary section was problematic (& therefore worthy of one of her first takedowns):
“Well I couldn't help it, because there was this obit of a woman whose name was Yvonne Brill and she was a, she was a rocket scientist actually, and the obit started off praising her ability to make a mean beef stroganoff. Which, you know, was meant to be a sort of a set-up for the fact that she was a rocket scientist, but actually ended up reading as kind of sexist, and people certainly reacted to it that way. And when you think about, would you ever write an obit of a man who was a rocket scientist by talking about how good he was at grilling barbecue in the backyard, I don't, I kind of doubt it?”
Tell ‘em, Marg.
Deez Links will be off tomorrow and Friday bc ya girl is headed to Northside Innovation Fest!!! AKA cash me outside tryna hang w/our boi Ben.