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Melissa, I would be glad to copy and paste but you’ll either need to enable copy and paste or make certain this is on Leaky’s text version. Thanks

OK I just read the article(actually I had to stop!!!!).... and you guys are crazy!!!! It practically told me what the deathly hallows are and the plot of the book..!!! OMG !! I can’t believe they wrote that ….AND MOST OF ALL I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW THERE ARE FANS THAT ACTUALLY DEFEND THEM!!!

I am part of the Jo’s army!!!!

This needs to stop….. it’s been almost 8 years that I have been fighting with people about HARRY POTTER!!! People who don’t understand how important it is to me. If I want to read an article on Harry Potter why should I be scared….THE BOOK IS NOT OUT YET!!! They were supposed to keep their mouth shut!!

Hey everyone! I, too, was shocked when I listened to my morning NYT podcast and unwillingly caught a summary of the review. I didn’t even have a warning and couldn’t hit pause to avoid the spoilers. I wish I hadn’t heard it.

That said, I don’t think the New York Times is to blame. They’re journalists and they’re doing their job. The fact that an author wishes to keep it secret or that a publisher is trying to maintain habile marketing is not their problem. It’s news, the book is available legally (some booksellers breached their contract but no one breached the law), it’s fair game.

It sucks that it’s out, but the NYT really didn’t reveal that much from what I heard. And, how many children read the NYT anyway?

I understand that people are disappointed, and I would advise that they simply avoid the internet for the next 24 hours, as I probably will. But the New York Times did not breach journalistic ethics, and I will not be sending that letter.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a journalism student, as well as a major HP fan who has been avoiding spoilers for weeks. I’ve mostly kept off the Internet this week, and instead listened to the HP audiobooks and watched all the HP movies. More on my position at jjunkie.wordpress.com.

It’s a real shame that this happened, and they couldn’t’ve just waited out a few more days until the book was legally released. I would expect this type of thing from a bullying child, not adults working for a respectible media outlet. And it’s also a shame to see they still haven’t removed the review from their website, even after Jo expressing her disappointment.

Anyway, I have written my own letter, which I thought I’d post in case anybody wanted some more inspiration to build on for their’s.

And just in the case that you’re worried, I did NOT include any plot points or spoilers in this letter – as we know only the New York Times would stoop so low as to do such a thing!

To whom it may concern:

I must confess myself severely disappointed in the actions that you, as a source trusted for your fine morals and standards, have taken actions to spoil the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, for many devoted fans.

Being merely days before the official and legal release of the novel in question, many fans (including children, teenagers and adults) have been forced to boycott the internet and tabloids for the fear of having their favourite story ruined beforehand. With the recent leaks of the book, most of these fans had taken particular care to avoid any media outlets which would be low enough to publish such spoilers in their publications, thus turning to the formerly trustworthy New York Times for the latest news and information instead.

I hate to say that it seems, however, that the New York Times is becoming just as low as any common tabloid and has let down countless Harry Potter fans, as well as a well-respected author and publishing company in foolishly posting these spoilers.

While many Potter fanatics, including myself, had planned to set out on this last adventure without knowing where they were going, unfortunately this pleasure has now been denied to us.

I feel saddened to say that I ever thought I could trust the New York Times, and I feel immensely let down by you and your editorial board. I can only hope that in the future, if there is ever another book release of such a scale as this, people do not turn to the New York Times as a safe haven from the spoilers which are posted elsewhere.

Sincerely,

I can’t believe NYT would do that. I’ve never been so scared to go to a midnight release of Harry Potter.

here’s the letter i sent off before work today. I personally am most upset that the nytimes is condoning contract-breaking actions with this review. I kept jo’s army. I see it didn’t see it as “childish” but as something to show my respect for jo. you know dumbledore’s army out of respect for dumbledore. jo’s army out of respect for jo.

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a devoted fan of the New York Times for throughout high school and college. Your paper has upheld a certain sense of integrity that is sometimes lacking in the rest of the media today. Your paper praises citizens who uphold moral standards. However, that is all part of the past. I am writing to express my disappointment that your publication printed an early review of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Not only does this act condone that certain New York bookstore’s contract-breaking actions, this act goes against the expressed wishes of JK Rowling and anyone that calls themselves a true Harry Potter fan. Since our modern world is driven by the media, it is hard enough for a Harry Potter fan to avoid spoilers on the Internet. Now news stations around the country have discussed spoilers, so we can’t get our news from there either. Now I’ll have to get my news from The Washington Post or The Financial Times because the New York Times has lost any respect for its reader. Not only have you disappointed millions of children around the world with your actions, you have disappointed the millions of adults who look to the New York Times to be a bastion of good taste and standards. When the New York Times succumbs to such tabloid tactics, who won’t?

But why fans aren’t all so rabid to get the book that we’ll sop up any illegal download or purchase? There’s one simple answer: We respect the author. Over the past ten years, JK Rowling has created a character and a world adore. We can wait two more days to finish Harry’s journey as she wants us to finish our own. We thought that a newspaper like yours—where so many of your reporters become authors themselves—would understand and respect that.

Sincerely, Liz Student, Harry Potter Fan, and member of Jo’s Army

I just wrote a letter to the NY Times and compared them to Fox News. ;) Maybe that will get their attention… I refuse to read the article myself. I’m so sick of sensationalism. Have some integrity, NY Times!

I sent the letter tonight. The fact that there are spoilers are not a surprise. What is a surprise is that the NYT has seen fit to publish them.

I sent the letter tonight. The fact that there are spoilers is not a surprise. What is a surprise is that the NYT has seen fit to publish them.

I sent the letter tonight. The fact that there are spoilers is not a surprise. What is a surprise is that the NYT has seen fit to publish them.

I sent mine. I left out the Jo’s Army bit, and I added some other bits, but it’s sent. I like and agree with your point about respect for Jo, very much, and although I haven’t read the article (nor any other articles, nor anything online lately at all in an attempt to stay spoiler free), I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your efforts. I will say that I’m sad, though, that something like this is tearing fandom apart, right at this point in time. Very sad indeed.

I sent mine. I left out the Jo’s Army bit, and I added some other bits, but it’s sent. I like and agree with your point about respect for Jo, very much, and although I haven’t read the article (nor any other articles, nor anything online lately at all in an attempt to stay spoiler free), I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your efforts. I will say that I’m sad, though, that something like this is tearing fandom apart, right at this point in time. Very sad indeed.

I didn’t read the New York Times article, but I started to read the Baltimore Sun’s article and was completely shocked. After the third or so paragraph I had to stop reading. I was completely shocked and disappointed that they would publish such a review before anyone could enjoy it for themselves. It was very poor journalism and mean spirited.

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