Last year's mayoral race was dominated by concerns about rising crime, thanks in large part to New York City's principle organ of ketchup-stained fear and rage, the NY Post.
In June of 2021, the month of the Democratic primary, half of the tabloid's daily covers were devoted to sensational crime coverage: "CROSSHAIRS OF THE WORLD," "LET 'EM LOOT," "FREE TO KILL," "THEY'RE BAACK!" (that last one was about the supposed scourge of squeegee guys returning, a story they return to every few years when it's useful to them.) Other outlets picked up the Post's lead, saturating mayoral debates with questions about bail reform and the merits of carrying a concealed weapon.
Naturally, the Post's favored candidate was former NYPD officer Eric Adams, who had spent the months leading up to the primary invoking the specter of the "bad old days," and promising to reinstate plainclothes "anti-crime" units.
You might say that the Post's treatment of Adams as a candidate lacked the bite of its coverage of his rivals, like Andrew Yang. It was the CITY and Politico who dug into Adams's weird real estate dealings and Fort Lee connections. Curbed staked out his Brooklyn apartment, which is traditionally tabloid turf. The Post's friendlier filter extended into the first few months of the Adams administration—this is the same newspaper that made a weird, throbbing "countdown clock" for Bill de Blasio before his first term was even out!
Throughout the last eventful nine months, the Post's editorial board has continued to publish the editorial equivalent of a parent pushing their kid on a bicycle without training wheels—encouraging, constructive, proud.
Here's the Post's cover today. Has something changed?
The Post's fine photoshop is inspired by some things the mayor told CNN's Chris Wallace about—you guessed it—crime. Eric Adams believes that it is the perception of crime, not crime itself, that is driving New Yorkers to fear crime (this, as Hell Gate has noted, contradicts some previous statements made by Eric Adams).
“We have an average of less than six crimes a day on a subway system with 3.5 million riders,” Adams told Wallace.
“But if you write your story based on a narrative, then you’re going to look at the worst of those six crimes and put it on the front pages of your paper every day.”
Hizzoner added: “So, I have to deal with those six crimes a day — felony crimes — and the perception of fear.”
The mayor’s continuing efforts to downplay crime have left both criminal justice experts and everyday straphangers dismayed.
“I don’t know where he’s coming from anymore,” said Dorothy Schulz, a professor emerita of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.
That was from the Post's news coverage of the interview. The editorial's headline reads like a subject line of an email from Rupert Murdoch: "Quit trying to spin the news on crime, Mayor Eric Adams, and focus on calling out the roadblockers."
Are the NY Post's gloves finally coming off? Are the gloves coming off to reveal slightly smaller, less puffy gloves? Are those gloves going to come off to reveal a pair of extremely thin mittens? Stay tuned.
Here's some more news unicorns for your Friday:
- Talk show personality and karaoke desecrator James Corden apparently got all pissy about being banned/unbanned from Balthazar this week.
- Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson reportedly put a cap on the number of riders in the Tour du Bronx this weekend...why?
- Everyone knows you can't just listen to ONE episode of a podcast cmon you gotta give it at least two or three eps.
- Van Leeuwen will accept cash at its ice cream stores now, after it was found to be violating NYC's anti-cashless establishment law.
- The Pyramid in the East Village is closing again. Go drink some straight liquor out of plastic cups and dance while you still can.
- The NYPD's Chief of Department is retiring after less than a year of working for the Adams administration. See the top of this current blog post.
- Kiss of Death?
- Adams has trashed 1,500 homeless encampments, but only 104 people living in them have accepted the City's help.
- Weird that all these drivers with out-of-state license plates keep crashing into shit huh?
And finally:
Tonight, Hell Gate is throwing a party. We are confident it will be fun. There will be pizza. And hats. To get invited to fun Hell Gate parties (and to get a hat!), become an annual Believer subscriber today! Thank you for your support.
