NY Mag Makes Massive Edits to Controversial Clinton Press Conference Piece

After receiving negative media attention and mockery on social media, a New York Magazine piece defending Hillary Clinton‘s refusal to hold a press conference has been substantially edited.

The original headline of Claire Landsbaum‘s piece was “Stop Bugging Hillary Clinton About Giving a Press Conference.” It has since been changed to “Why Hillary Clinton Is Avoiding Press Conferences.” The tone of the piece has also drastically shifted, from a passionate defense of Clinton to a more dispassionate explanation of Clinton’s motives.

Along the way, entire paragraphs were excised, including the most controversial one.

But Clinton, who’s so far confined most of her media appearances to televised interviews, knows public speaking isn’t her forte. “This isn’t easy for me,” she said during a debate in March. “I am not a natural politician, in case you haven’t noticed, like my husband or President Obama.” Part of playing the political game is knowing the best way to get your message across. As such, Clinton should be recognized for her pragmatism rather than being pressured to perform based on standards that don’t necessarily apply across the board.

A different conclusion has also been added. “Does she owe it to voters to give a press conference at some point soon? Yes. But it’s probably not a political mistake to give fewer than Trump,” the piece now ends.

When contacted by Politico, New York Magazine explained that the “headline and force of the opinion overstepped the mark, so we edited the post and noted that it was edited.” Indeed, a note at the bottom states that the piece has been “substantially edited since its original publication.”

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