Overview
- The Times confirmed Shachtman will write columns and longer investigative pieces for Opinion, calling him a skilled and experienced editor and reporter.
- NPR previously reported that, as Rolling Stone’s top editor, Shachtman told reporter Tatiana Siegel not to use the words “child pornography” and removed language indicating the FBI probe was unrelated to journalism.
- The published Rolling Stone article emphasized alleged classified material and suggested a national‑security frame for the FBI raid on ABC producer James Gordon Meek.
- NPR also reported Shachtman asked staff to avoid using Meek’s photo and to select a generic “FBI‑y” image for the story; colleagues said he knew Meek professionally.
- Meek pleaded guilty in July 2023 to transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to six years that September, a development Rolling Stone later added to its story, while the Times declined to address questions about the earlier editing controversy.