Noah Shachtman Joins The New York Times Amid Controversy
The New York Times is currently negotiating with Noah Shachtman, the former top editor of Rolling Stone, who has been linked to a significant scandal surrounding James Gordon Meek, a former ABC News producer.
Shachtman, who was editor-in-chief of the Daily Beast from 2021 to 2024, will be contributing opinion columns and investigative pieces related to power, politics, and pop culture at the Times. However, there are lingering questions about his role in Rolling Stone’s coverage of the FBI’s raid on Meek’s home.
In September 2023, Meek was sentenced to six years in prison for serious child pornography offenses. Rolling Stone’s report on the October 2022 FBI raid suggested that it was connected to Meek’s role as a producer involved in national security investigations, specifically pointing to classified materials found on his laptop.
At the time, Rolling Stone remarked that Meek seemed to be at odds with national security interests. Following the raid, he abruptly resigned from ABC News.
After Meek’s arrest in February 2023, NPR’s media correspondent reported that Shachtman had expressed concerns about how Rolling Stone was handling the situation, asserting that the publication downplayed crucial details about Meek’s case. Shachtman faced criticism for his decision to edit Siegel’s work, which was viewed as an interference with journalistic independence, especially regarding the handling of such serious allegations.
Reportedly, Siegel initially stated that Meek was involved in a federal investigation concerning child pornography, but Shachtman allegedly removed significant elements from her article. Descriptions of their editorial exchanges suggest a deep disagreement over how to present Meek’s situation.
Siegel later left Rolling Stone for a position at Variety, expressing frustration over the changes made to her work. The article reflecting Meek’s guilty plea was subsequently updated in July 2023.
A spokesperson from The New York Times acknowledged Shachtman’s capabilities as a reporter and editor but sidestepped questions regarding his role at Rolling Stone.
