New York Times Book Review Called Sexist

According to this story in the Village Voice, Paula Caplan, a clinical psychologist, and Mary Ann Palko, a psychotherapist, conducted a study of back issues of the NYTBR and determined that the magazine has an anti-feminine bias. They found that 72 percent of all books reviewed were written by men and that men comprised two-thirds of the reviewers. Therefore, "the most influential venue in the publishing world showcases male authors and reviewers by an average of two to one."

The researchers judged the disproportionate number of male authors and reviewers to be demoralizing to women's psychological development.

For the New York Times to be accused of bias by some of its allies has to be considered unexplored territory. In defending the charge of bias in the Book Review, Editor Charles McGrath pumped smoke and, without providing a basis, said, "more books are written by men than by women." Pure hooey!

My take is that the Book Review should be edited by a woman to provide desired diversity. And, regarding the "demoralizing to women's psychological development" statement, it sounds like psycho-babble and definitely not provable.