The NYT almost made it to the end of an article about the Obama administration's decision not to reopen NAFTA before using the term "free trade." The context was a description of trade representative Ronald Kirk as a supporter of "free trade."
Of course Mr. Kirk is not a supporter of free trade. He supports government protection in the form of copyright and patent protection and has never expressed concern about the barriers to foreign professionals working in the United States which inflate physicians wages and the price of other professional services.
Reporters can save words and increase accuracy by dropping the word "free" from such discussions.
There's too much at stake this November for us to quit. As we navigate another presidential election year, thoughtful independent journalism is more important than ever. We're committed to bringing you the latest news on what's really happening across the country this election season, shining a light on the stories corporate media overlooks and keeping the public informed about how power really works in America.
Quality reporting doesn't come for free, and we don't have corporate backers to rely on to fund our work. Everything we do is thanks to our incredible community of readers, who chip in a few dollars at a time to make what we do possible. Any amount you give today will help sustain this crucial work.