Odd Lots · Monday, August 10, 2026
Meredith Kopit Levien addressed concerns about audience capture, stating that The New York Times does not chase audiences but rather serves them by pursuing truth. She asserted that the company's broad audience reflects the population at large and that they are committed to reporting facts even when uncomfortable. Levien emphasized that the Times's value proposition lies in providing trustworthy, fairly pursued information, not in catering to specific ideological demands.
“Audience capture. We're just not doing that. That is to the extent that that assumes some compromise in that pursuit of truth. That is not what we do. We do not chase audiences.”
“We want a giant audience. We want a giant, engaged audience, but we're going to win them because I actually think most people want information, particularly in this environment where there's so much slop and disinformation, or you just don't know where something came from and is it true at all?”