PressEthic

Many lauded the New York Times September series, Broken Bench, an expose that chronicled the government ignored judicial abuses of New York State’s town and village courts.

Two months after the stories were published in The Times, New York’s top judicial officials announced plans to overhaul the 300-year old court system.

The plan is being declared a “sweeping reform program” and includes provisions for improvements in supervision, training and the protection of basic legal principles.

The plan announced on Tuesday is the most specific and ambitious effort in years to address significant parts of the system’s troubled dealings.

While the plans for reform are wrought with critics and controversy, and are likely to be dissected and measured, I view the reaction to the series as a journalistic victory.

The yearlong investigation that unearthed the realities detailed in Broken Bench was a keen example of superior journalism. The response and action initiated from the series is a testament to the profession and an inspiration to many journalists.