The New York Times, one of the most respected newspapers in the world, is about to hire a new public editor: a watchdog that will hold the Times accountable to journalistic ethics and principles.

We want to make sure that this important paper of record hires a public editor who will grapple with injustice, put people before corporations, and cover the stories that matter to a diversity of Americans.

Because let’s face it -- the Times’ record hasn’t been great lately. It was heavily criticized for its lack of coverage of the Flint poisoned water crisis. Then there was its infamous victim-blaming article on the Ferguson shooting of an unarmed Black teenager by a white cop that declared “Michael Brown was no angel.”

Tell The New York Times to make sure it hires a public editor that understands the new face of America.

Nicknamed “The Gray Lady,” The New York Times is one of America’s greatest institutions, setting new standards for journalists all over the world. The Public Editor’s job is maybe even more important than the Editor-in-Chief -- it has to ensure that the newspaper not only sticks to those highest standards, but exceeds them.

And it’s not an easy job: the face of America is changing. The racial makeup of the country is changing fast, with mixed-race and people of color set to outnumber white people by 2042. A good public editor will be part of this positive change and take the Times to task every time a critical story like Flint goes unreported -- and dish out serious criticism when it gets things as wrong as it got its profile of Michael Brown.

Tell The New York Times: No more old guard journalism. Hire a public editor for a new America.

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