SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED: The New York Times takes aim at J.K. Rowling.

A new YouTube ad introduces us to ‘Lianna’, who, we are told, has subscribed to the NYT since 2020 and is described as a “harmony of flavors.” We are introduced to her various passions for articles on themes such as “a week in crossword land” and “queer love in color” before another suggested newspaper title flashes up: “Imagining Harry Potter without its creator.” It’s the only implicit reference in the thirty-second clip to any notable individual and is clearly something of a deliberate swipe at She Who Must Not Be Named, the outspoken author whose critics have indeed tried to erase her works.

Indeed, the line has been carefully picked out to adorn advertising boards in New York and DC too, suggesting that the paper knows exactly what it is doing by highlighting Rowling. The NYT is running its campaign under the tagline of “independent journalism” — even though by blindly following the herd on this one it doesn’t exactly suggest much in the way of independent thought.

Clearly, being well-informed isn’t one of the benefits of subscribing to the NYT. For, without its creator, “Lianna” wouldn’t be imagining anything about Harry Potter at all.

Also at the New York Times: Study Finds Severe Obesity Raises Risk of Covid-19 Hospitalization and Death.