Earlier today, former Clinton adviser Mark Penn expressed concern over the New York Times’ decision to cave to the Outrage Mob and change a straightforward, objective headline about Donald Trump’s post-shooting remarks to something a little less straightforward and objective:

The day a twitter mob can change a headline on the New York Times this paper is truly finished and replaced by a new kind of 1984 Ministry of Truth. The news is now what people say it is. — Mark Penn (@Mark_Penn) August 6, 2019

But FiveThirtyEight editor-in-chief Nate Silver really doesn’t see what the big deal is. As far as he can tell, the New York Times is just being responsive to subscribers:

Oh, is that all it is?

The Truth Is what our subscribers would like to hearhttps://t.co/oD8Uc6SJ2B — David Rutz (@DavidRutz) August 6, 2019

News is a mutable canvas for the public to paint upon — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 6, 2019

NYT: “Just tell us what news you want and we will ‘report’ to you” is one hell of journalistic model. — Bien Chingón (@DavidSmejkal666) August 6, 2019

So basically the subscribers get to make up the news they like? If they don't like the news all they have to do is throw a tantrum — Believe Me❌ (@yadayadayada45) August 6, 2019

Basically.

Nate, the news isn’t supposed to tell you what you want to hear. https://t.co/wU70t387uX — Phil (@philthatremains) August 6, 2019

Except the news isn't supposed to be what people want to hear. It's supposed to be what actually is. Imagine doctors telling you what you want to hear instead of what actually is. — Fishy Catfish (@CatfishFishy) August 6, 2019

Telling your subscribers only what they want to hear is not actually journalism. — commonsense (@commonsense258) August 6, 2019

Journalism of Old: Sorry it's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. Journalism of New: Sorry the truth upset you. We'll fix it and we promise to do better. — The Left Ruins Everything (@TheLeftRuins) August 6, 2019

Welcome to modern journalism, where the only news that’s fit to print is the news you want to hear.

At least it is now agreed upon that the NYT is a left-wing publication catering to left-wingers. — Jack Daley (@RealJackDaley) August 6, 2019

Pretty baller that you’re admitting openly that modern journalism doesn’t have any principles….. — Will (@Oil_Guns_Merica) August 6, 2019

That’s been happening a lot today.

Interesting that a blogger statistician suggests you need to skew things to please the fans so you don't lose clicks. https://t.co/tF3nqkVZCp — Dan ?? (@danieltobin) August 6, 2019

Woooooooooow. Why should I believe that any polling he does is objective and not to provide the results his clients demand? Hey he is just being responsive to his clients. https://t.co/xGzmGOHu2j — alexandriabrown (@alexthechick) August 6, 2019

Guess so.

You can't be this intentionally dense, can you Nate? You see the difference between what's supposed to be opinion and what represents itself as impartial journalism on the cover? — Smells Like Teen Statism (@BlueEightySixed) August 6, 2019

Nate, if you cannot see the issue here, we have a huge problem. — Rorschach (@TheWatchemen) August 6, 2019

You probably regret saying this out loud right about now, huh? https://t.co/FPzPoRup5P — RBe (@RBPundit) August 6, 2019

Meh. That would require shame. We’re not sure he has any.

Imagine a world with journalistic integrity. — mick j (@mfjak) August 6, 2019

Guess that’s all we can do now. Oh well.