Press Box

Assessing Landesman

How well does Peter Landesman’s sex-slavery investigation in New York Times Magazine stand up?

Peter Landesman’s 8,500-word feature about the sex-slave trade in the Jan. 25, 2004, New York Times Magazine, “The Girls Next Door,” has prompted six columns by Slate press critic Jack Shafer and a response by Times Magazine Editor Gerald Marzorati. Links to Shafer’s pieces, Marzorati’s response, as well as blogger Daniel Radosh’s critical piece and his 2005 exchange with Landesman follow.

Shafer Columns
Sex Slaves of West 43rd Street,” Jan. 26, 2004

Doubting Landesman,” Jan. 27, 2004

The Times Magazine Strikes Back,” Jan. 28, 2004

How Not To Handle Press Critics,” Jan. 29, 2004

Enslaved by His Sources,” Feb. 3, 2004

Sex Slaves, Revisited,” June 6, 2005

The Sex-Slavery Epidemic That Wasn’t,” Sept. 27, 2007

Marzorati Response

The New York Times Magazine   editor defends his writer and his feature, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004.

Radosh Bloggings

Daniel Radosh criticizes the Landesman feature Jan. 25, 2004.

Landesman Squares Off Against Shafer

Landesman vs. Shafer, June 9, 2005

In April 2005 Radosh and Landesman mixed it up on Radosh’s blog.