Why a Former Rolling Stone Editor Called Out the NYT for Their Headline About the Minneapolis Shooting

Former Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi isn’t happy with The New York Times, which opted to use the preferred pronouns of the transgender shooter who murdered two kids at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis this week. Robert “Robin” Westman opened fire during a mass commemorating the new school year. Seventeen others, 14 of whom were also students, were wounded in the attack. Westman committed suicide shortly after the assault. The Times opted to go with this headline: “Minneapolis Suspect Knew Her Target, but Motive Is a Mystery.”

We are now at the "respecting the preferred pronouns" of deranged, murderous killers phase of this saga. pic.twitter.com/UnyAyWVcED
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 28, 2025

Respects the killer’s pronouns and claims ignorance about his motives

I’m seeing red right now pic.twitter.com/pU8nPc5YH5
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) August 28, 2025

The motive angle is a joke, but Taibbi was more concerned about the multi-level trainwreck with the article, which he says apologizes for reporting what actually happened at the school. They laid out the facts while smothering the copy with liberal talking points. In short, Taibbi noted how the publication was petrified of its readership if they didn’t toe a certain line, which you already know:

The Times in “The Minneapolis suspect knew her target, but the motive is a mystery” did what news organizations are supposed to do, settling a controversy by telling us a mass shooter “identified as female” in a court document. But the paper was so afraid of conclusions its audience might draw that it surrounded its report with layer after layer of messaging. They strained to put “her” in the headline, referred to those who paid attention to the gender issue as “right-wing” and “conservative activists,” and told you Jacob Frey, “a Democrat,” urged against scapegoating. All this, while insisting others “politicized” the shooting. It’s the most glaring example I can remember of a news organization apologizing for its own reporting.
Walter and I will be talking about it on America This Week, but the degree to which news outlets seemingly as a primary coverage goal are scolding readers into not paying attention to true details has been extraordinary. Apologies for the brief note, but having just come up for air after spending time on a different story, I wanted to express shock. Apparently not even the most awful violence derails the narrative model.

Also: a biological male who just shot up a church full of kids after complaining of being tired of the “charade of trans” probably shouldn’t be called “her” in a headline. The news business isn’t obligated to abide by the shooter’s declaration https://t.co/u2R4KDgz0z
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) August 28, 2025

I have talked to experts. Leaving aside all other issues, Westman at the end complained of the “charade” of being trans - and the only reason the Times uses “her” is because he previously said something different. Which declared “identity” is correct? The biological one. https://t.co/CbDaHTUCYr
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) August 28, 2025

And some wonder why the legacy press is dying.

According to the New York Times, the motive of the trans shooter is a mystery

Such a mystery…

Hopefully a team of detectives can crack it… pic.twitter.com/TcbYm9iWeE
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 29, 2025

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