New York Times reporter was SPAT on after 'being recognized in public' after paper's own reporters and Hollywood A-listers criticized its coverage on transgender issues

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A female New York Times journalist was spat on after being 'recognized in public' by an assailant who was upset about her coverage of transgender issues. 

The alleged incident came last month as the outlet grappled with woke criticism from its own journalists and Hollywood A-listers for what they raged was 'irresponsible' reporting on trans issues. 

The spitting episode was revealed by the paper's publisher AG Sulzberger, who defended the outlet's journalism during its annual State of the Times event. 

Sulzberger said: 'We even had a colleague involved in this coverage confronted in her neighborhood last weekend and spat on.'

He didn't name the journalist who was targeted, but did single out reporter Emily Bazelon for particular praise of her coverage of transgender issues. Sulzberger later named multiple other journalists who've also covered the thorny topic.  

New York Times publisher AG Sulzberger, pictured, revealed that a staffer was spat on as the paper grapples with a transgender reporting row

Washington Post columnist Erik Wemple, pictured, cited a Times spokesman as he said Sulzberger touched upon 'types of harassment that our journalists have faced'

The New York Times has been rocked in recent months as it struggles to tamp down criticisms from its own writers over transgender issues

A Times spokesperson said that the incident took place on February 19. 

They claimed that 'the person said something about "attempts to eliminate trans people" and then spat on the employee'. 

Sulzberger, who was keynote speaker at the annual event to celebrate the outlet's work over the past year, justified the newspaper's transgender coverage, which has caught the ire of trans activists and woke Hollywood elites. 

He chose to praise Bazelon in his remarks as he touched upon the controversial issue, as she came under fire for authoring a 2022 feature that delved into divisions in the medical field over gender transition surgeries for minors.   

Bazelon was criticized for publishing an 'anti-trans agenda', however the publisher said her article 'empathetically examined the debate within the medical community over treatment for trans adolescents.' 

'I want to linger for a moment on Emily, one of the best magazine writers alive and someone who received a great deal of unfair criticism for the piece I just mentioned,' Sulzberger added. 

He also noted several other Times journalists who have faced the wrath of trans activists for their 'sensitive reporting', including Megan Twohey, Christina Jewett, Azeen Ghorayshi, Michael Powell and Katie Baker.

Sulzberger condemned the 'nonstop attacks' the staffers have been subjected to for daring to touch upon trans issues.  

'We always take criticism seriously, never more so than when our coverage is accused of misrepresenting a marginalized group,' said Salzberger. 

'In this case, our editors have listened to concerns with open minds and looked hard at whether our coverage missed the mark.

'Again and again, those reviews found that the work was rigorously reported and edited, and that our reporters went to great lengths to ensure each piece was written with sensitivity, nuance and care.'  

The 42-year-old's defense of the paper's output comes as several of the Times' own staffers publicly criticized their employer in recent months. 

Emily Bazelon, pictured, was defended at the event after she came under fire for a 2022 feature that delved into divisions in the medical field over gender transition

Joe Kahn, the executive editor of The New York Times, wrote to staff telling them to cease attacking each other, amid a row about their coverage of transgender issues

GLAAD, who penned an open letter to the outlet, parked a mobile billboard outside The New York Times' offices in Manhattan to criticize its reporting

Amid the publishing of an opinion piece defending JK Rowling's trans views, two open letters signed by hundreds of NYT staff and celebrities publicly accused the paper of 'anti-trans bias'. 

The Times has reported on mastectomy surgeries for underage transgender boys who want their breasts removed.

The paper has also reported on whether it is appropriate for teachers to conceal new names and pronouns from parents of schoolchildren who say they are transgender.

It has further reported on Lia Thomas - the controversial former UPenn swimmer, who is trans.

Her record-breaking victories in the pool led to heated debate over whether its fair to let transgender female athletes compete against biological women in some sports. 

One of the letters, directed at associate managing editor Philip B. Corbett, accused the outlet of 'editorial bias in reporting on transgender, non⁠-⁠binary, and gender nonconforming people'.

A second letter from LGBT activist organization GLAAD followed, hitting out at the Times for 'irresponsible, biased coverage of transgender people'.

The public revolt, which also saw advertising billboards erected near the newsroom criticizing its stances, led executive editor Joe Kahn to take a stand against the rebellious staffers. 

Writing to all his employees last month, Kahn said their criticism of each other and of the paper was damaging and unacceptable to the company. 

He said the paper 'will not tolerate participation by Times journalists in protests organized by advocacy groups or attacks on colleagues on social media and other public forums'.