journalism

Times Public Editor Makes a Good Argument for the Existence of Trend Pieces

Pedestrians pass in front of the New York Times Co. building in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. New York Times Co., publisher of the namesake newspaper, said more than 100,000 people signed up for new digital subscriptions, a sign online revenue may help offset a decline in print advertising and circulation. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photo: Michael Nagle Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Reflecting on the mockery, heated debate, and fun research projects that followed the publication of the paper’s “return of the monocle” Styles story, Margaret Sullivan wrote, “While The Times’s declarations of trends can sometimes seem self-serious, overblown and out-of-touch, they also can — at their best — provoke moments of recognition and lively conversation.” And for those who don’t know or care about the witches of Bushwick, pubic hair grooming trends, or man buns: “Because [the articles] occasionally provide a full day’s worth of hilarity, let’s pray that they never go away.” Let’s.

Sullivan Argues for Existence of Trend Pieces