NYT Publisher: Hiring BBC Exec Involved in Sex Abuse Scandal 'Hasn't Made Things Easy'

When The New York Times hired former British Broadcasting Corp. head Mark Thompson, they figured they were getting a bit of British class and highbrow sensibility. Instead, they got his scandals. Thompson presided over the BBC while one of its hosts, Jimmy Savile, allegedly sexually abused dozens of children. The BBC actually killed an expose of that story in order to protect Savile. Thompson has denied involvement.

According to New York Times Chairman and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., though, those scandals are hurting the company. “The British stuff hasn’t made things easy,” said Sulzberger. “But Mark is a good man … We are very happy to have him in the position after all that time.”

Only the Times would fill a year-long editorial vacancy with a disgraced former editor involved in a sex abuse cover-up.