An explosive new report from Breitbart News exposes how the New York Times collaborated with the New York State government to create a series of articles that targeted Orthodox Jewish yeshivas. Over 800 pages of emails, obtained by Breitbart News through the Freedom of Information Act, provide a mountain of evidence of the coordination between the media outlet and the state authorities. Eliza Shapiro, a reporter for The New York Times, is prominently featured in these communications. The obtained emails reportedly show Shapiro discussing with the New York State Education Department how “we” can craft comments for the series of articles targeting yeshivas. The emails also indicate that Shapiro worked closely with the government to assign blame for the Times’ allegations and to synchronize publication timing with a vote aimed at regulating yeshivas. The first article in the series, published in September, claimed that yeshiva students “know nothing” and grow up with limited abilities to support their families. The article stirred controversy and raised an outcry about its accuracy and fairness. As previously reported, the article was curated with omitted information, excluded relevant sources, and disregarded pertinent on-the-record statements. Rather than being a fair look at yeshivas, it was used as a tool by secular political groups to attack the Orthodox Jewish community’s sacred institutions. The timing of the Times’ investigation coincided with the Board of Regents’ unanimous vote to increase the state’s influence on the education of Jewish children. This decision stirred further speculation about the intent behind the article. The newly revealed emails reportedly show the extent of cooperation between The New York Times and the New York State Education Department in crafting the narrative and maximizing its political impact. In one correspondence, Shapiro is seen working with the government to formulate the state’s comment on the reporting, giving the state almost a week longer to respond than the yeshivas that were the subject of the article. Shapiro’s emails to Emily DeSantis, then-Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs at the Education Department, indicate discussions about the publication’s content and timing, showing that objectivity and independence wasn’t exactly high on the list of Shapiro’s priorities. In an email to DeSantis, Shapiro wrote: “Hi! Hope all is well with you. We are aiming to publish the yeshiva investigation late next week and I wanted to walk you through it on a high level and we can talk about what might make sense for comment. I’m flexible today if you have some time. Thanks so much,” reporter Eliza Shapiro emailed then-Education Department Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs, Emily DeSantis, on August 29. The subject line of that email was “Walking you through the yeshiva story.” The yeshivas targeted by the article were contacted four days later and were not offered to “walk you through it on a high level,” nor to “talk about what might make sense for comment.” In another email, Shapiro is seen asking DeSantis for help with who to blame for yeshivas supposed failings. “Good morning Emily, I have another fact checking question I’m hoping you can help with. We are planning to state that the yeshivas we mention appear to be violating the substantial equivalency law, based on our findings. We understand that the state constitutional guarantee to a basic education actually puts the onus on the state, […]
The post EXPOSED: Shocking Report Shows NY Times Collaborating Against Yeshivas With State Officials appeared first on The Yeshiva World.