That’s freelancer Rich Cohen, 25. How’s his rep? Well, The New York Observer has been sued for $17 million over a Cohen story, but the paper’s lawyer says the suit is “without merit.” Some journalists, including Vanity Fair’s Lynn Hirschberg, say he can be inaccurate; others, including The New Yorker’s Alec Wilkinson, vouch for him. So here are the choices: (1) Cohen piped the quotes, (2) his editor did, (3) they both did, (4) computer gremlins outfoxed New Yorker fact checkers or (5) the magazine apologized for nothing. Cohen refuses to comment, but a friend says his line is that he reported accurately and wasn’t consulted about the editing of the Brill story. Talk of the Town editor Gerry Marzorati told NEWSWEEK Cohen “was in here every day and saw every phase of the galley proofs.” One ex-Talk reporter, who wasn’t there but knows both Cohen and Marzorati, suggested this scenario: Marzorati edited over-adventurously; Cohen was consulted and protested too little. It’s as good as anything we could make up, though neither Cohen nor Marzorati would buy it, it wouldn’t satisfy Steven Brill and it won’t please Tina Brown.
