The Atlantic comes after a prominent New York Times reporter said the embarrassing anecdote was fabricated, after a former New York Times editor scolded a colleague at the paper for once saying he liked Chick-fil-A. He acknowledged the topic of being rejected.
in long piece In an article published earlier this week in The Atlantic, former New York Times opinion editor Adam Rubenstein wrote that a group of Times staff members were impressed by his enjoyment of Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich during new employee orientation. was clearly disgusted. Mr. Rubenstein, who worked at the right-wing Weekly Standard before joining the Times, told the story to illustrate the cultural divide he faced when he joined the liberal paper.
“The human resources manager who led the orientation chided me: ‘We don’t do that here. They hate gays.’ People started snapping their fingers and applauding,” Rubenstein said. wrote. “I wasn’t thinking about the fact that Chick-fil-A was violating liberal circles because of a president who opposed same-sex marriage. I immediately said, ‘It’s not about politics, it’s about chickens.’ I said it, but it was too late. I sat there, depressed and embarrassed.”
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Adam Rubenstein, a former New York Times opinion editor, said he was once humiliated by Times staff after declaring his preference for Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich during new employee orientation. (Jonathan Torgovnik/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Rubenstein’s article spotlighted allegations of liberal groupthink at the Times, where Rubenstein worked until resigning a few months later to edit the Arkansas State Sen. . An editorial by Tom Cotton, who was assigned to edit an Arkansas state senator, suggested that the military might be deployed to quell urban riots during the Arkansas era. Summer 2020. Cotton’s op-ed caused an uproar among left-wing Times staffers who accused it of endangering black staffers, and ultimately led to the resignation of then-opinion editor James Bennett.
As the Chick-fil-A story went viral, Times staffers, including Nicole Hannah-Jones, the architect of the 1619 project, claimed it wasn’t true.
In response to the story, Jones posted on X: “Nothing happened.”
When asked about her accusations, the outspoken progressive journalist replied, “I worked at the New York Times for nearly 10 years. That’s what I know.”
Journalist Michael Hobbs also questioned Rubenstein’s article. “Would anyone contact The Atlantic and ask how they published this grossly false anecdote?” he wrote.
Sarah Jones of New York Magazine also sarcastically cited an episode of The Simpsons, suggesting that the story was an epic one.
Another journalist, Bill Gruskin, also suggested this was a hoax, writing in “If that happens, I’ll swear on a stack of Associated Press style books.” You did it, dear reader. ” He later admitted that “probably this happened,” but still rebuked the publication.
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Nicole Hannah-Jones, the architect of the 1619 Project, claimed that the Chick-fil-A story told by former Opinion editor Adam Rubenstein is not true. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)
The Atlantic confirmed the story in a statement.
A spokesperson for The Atlantic told Fox News Digital: “As is our standard policy, the entire article was fact-checked. The introductory section was reviewed by The New York Times, which had contemporary knowledge of the incident. The details were confirmed by an employee.”
Journalist Jesse Singal says that for Hannah-Jones’ theory to be true, “Rubenstein not only lied about this non-existent event at the time, but also somehow convinced other NYT employees that it happened.” We need the fact that he did something or lied,” he posted to X. It’s him. It’s a complete conspiracy.”
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Former New York Times opinion editor Adam Rubenstein was ridiculed by his colleagues when he admitted he liked Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe, Getty Images)
When former colleagues doubted his claims, Rubenstein responded, “Of course the story is true.”
John Levin of the New York Post, Free Press founder and former New York Times chief Bari Weiss, and others spoke to Rubenstein about his experience in 2019, long before the Cotton incident and his departure from the paper. Some journalists wrote for X.
Hannah-Jones did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request.
“Please show me the fact-checking documents,” Hannah Jones posted on X Tuesday. It is unclear whether she specifically referred to the Chick-fil-A story.
The fast-food chain has long been criticized by liberals over former CEO Dan Cathy’s views on same-sex marriage and the Christian faith. Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Fox News Digital’s Nikola Lanum contributed to this report.
