Is the New York Times biased against Chavez?

Petition campaign calls out inconsistent coverage of Latin American rulers.

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The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greeting crowds on September 9, 2012. EPA/DAVID FERNANDEZ

The New York Times eXaminer, a self-described "antidote to the paper of record", is taking Margaret Sullivan, the New York Times (NYT) Public Editor, to task. From Noam Chomsky to Michael Moore, the publication has rallied the support of leading Latin America and media experts who have signed a petition questioning the fairness of the New York Times' coverage of Venezuela and Honduras.

View the story "Is the New York Times biased against Chavez?" on StorifyIs the New York Times biased against Chavez?Petition campaign calls out inconsistent coverage of Latin American rulers.Storified by The Stream· Wed, May 15 2013 09:58:02petitionAJstreamWithin 24 hours of posting, the petition received more than 500 signatures.Our petition asking NYT Public Editor to investigate biased reporting breaks 400 signatories! Add your name now: http://www.nytexaminer.com/2013/05/petition-on-venezuela-hondurasNYT eXaminerPetition signatures of industry leadersAJstream

Using Venezuela's late Hugo Chavez and his Honduran counterparts as examples, the petition argues that the NYT is partial to US government positions when characterising Latin American leaders. The NYT's opinion pieces often described Chavez as a "despot" or "caudillo" (Spanish for "military dictator"). Below is a NYT article, "Death of a Strongman", which the petition references to illustrate its point.

picAJstreamquote death of strongmanAJstreamHave you been following the NYT's coverage of Venezuela and Honduras? Let us know what you think of the petition campaign in the comments below.