Jill Abramson Now Writes Traffic Stories

Jill Abramson is trying to make a comeback after having been ousted six months ago from her position as the first woman executive editor of the New York Times. Her latest groundbreaking work in investigative journalism dealt with the dangers faced by New York City pedestrians and was published in a number of B level local weeklies.

Imagine having once been a major Hollywood star whose movies made millions. Then imagine having a number of bombs in a row and ending up not being able to get arrested in Los Angeles so you have to do dinner theater in Florida. This is kind of like what has happened to Abramson.

Abramson’s piece informed the world about one of its greatest problems: how drivers in New York who accidentally kill pedestrians do not receive as harsh a punishment as in most other major U.S. cities. As she wrote, “If you want to kill someone in New York City and get away with it, the weapon of choice should be a vehicle. Fewer than 7% of the drivers in fatal crashes that kill pedestrians are ticketed and only a tiny fraction, usually only those who were driving drunk, face any criminal charges.”

The former executive editor of the Times has a personal stake in the story since she herself was hit by a truck back in 2007.

The 3, 000 page article appeared in such notable publications as Straus News’ Our Town, Our Town Downtown, West Side Spirit, The Chelsea-Clinton News and The Westsider.

Kyle Pope, who himself went from The Wall Street Journal to Strauss papers told Capital New York of Abramson, “I told her I would love to publish anything she wanted to write. She said ‘Well, I have been working on this pedestrian traffic thing.’ I said, ‘I’ll take it, ‘ It’s a perfect piece for our papers. It’s something we’ve been following, and she’s the perfect writer to do it.”

There is more good news for Abramson. A large number of openings have just become available at the formerly venerable The New Republic.