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Crossword puzzles occupy a special space on the page newspapers and magazines. They differ from editorial content and their black and white grids provide a brief escape for millions of solvers Headlines of the day.
but, Newsroom Politics It can still penetrate.
At least, that’s what veteran crossword puzzle creator Natan Rust thinks in his new book, Across the Universe: The Past, Present and Future of Crossword Puzzles.
In this interview, Rust, who has created hundreds of crossword puzzles for major media outlets, lifts the lid on the busy bureaucracy behind puzzle production. independent. He explains that before publication, editors carefully review every clue and answer, considering how readers will interpret them. They often prune, delete, or replace entries—sometimes changing their original meaning.
“The editors gave us some interesting feedback on which items would create a buzz,” Last said.
This process of in-person supervision has “become more common in recent years,” he said, as crossword puzzles have become a major source of revenue in a media industry facing upheaval.
“There’s an inside joke [The New York Times] We’re basically a gaming company that happens to make news,” Rust said.
The politics behind the crossword puzzle
Finally – he is also a researcher and policy advisor – becoming the youngest person ever to serve in this new york times Sunday Magazine 2008. Since then he has regularly contributed puzzles to both magazines. era and new yorker.
He said there were guidelines in these and other channels that led to the politicization of crossword puzzles. The first, he said, is “the requirement to avoid negative impacts.” aspects of previous puzzles,” including racist, sexist or potentially offensive clues.
“this era The word ‘illegal’ used to be listed as ‘people caught by Border Patrol,'” he said. “A few years later they used the answer ‘BEANER,’ which was a slur against Mexicans… like a baseball diamond.
He said the rationale for banning the words was fairly simple. However, other words and phrases have been flagged for more shaky reasons.
He recalled one editor mentioning that they would reject the basketball-related answer “shooting guard” because it might spark the idea of gun violence. Last said in the book that he had been wondering whether “this idea of how solvers handle this problem is a little too presumptuous.”
In other cases, clues or answers to hot-button topics were tweaked to avoid appearing biased — sometimes prompting backlash.
while doing a crossword puzzle era In 2022, longtime crossword puzzle maker Lynn Lempel matched the clue “Dubious sources of green energy” with the answer “Clean coal.” But before publication, it was whittled down to three words: “greener energy.”
This was affected by “mini scandal,” according to vice newssocial media users condemned the newspaper for suggesting coal was a viable clean energy source. final, era A rare crossword puzzle correction is posted.
“Have More recent political mysteries About what people should include in puzzles, what they shouldn’t include, and how the clues lead,” Rempel said at the time. Politico. “I don’t object to a lot of it. But you know, it’s a puzzle.”
Last said the second key guideline is “requirements include He cited slang, pop culture and more non-white and non-male celebrities as examples.
He noted that in the past, the answer, “ONT”, had long been considered “a province of Canada” (Ontario). But recently, one builder suggested it was “taking testosterone.”
“Those are the things people say,” Rust said. “So that’s a huge impetus for making this puzzle reflect how we speak.”
“A dump for Nazi submarines”
crossword puzzle — where Dating back to 1913 — have always been political, and they cannot exist in a vacuum, Rust said. He noted that during World War II, the clue “Nazi submarine dump” was paired with the answer “Atlantic Ocean.”
But for some reason, Last said, the process of building and publishing crossword puzzles has become more political in recent years.
First, he said, ” era‘The missteps did cause a massive, organized response from puzzle solvers and makers, which led to real personnel and procedural changes’ that ushered in ‘younger, more politically minded editors’.
Second, as word puzzles evolved into a booming business, they attracted more attention.
“For a long time, Will Shortz was like the end of it all. new york times “Crossword, it’s like a little simulation operation,” said Rust, “who works out of his home in Pleasantville, New York.”
Over the past decade, however, the business has shifted. Taking 2023 as an example, era‘ Play crossword puzzles and other related games Eight billion timesReportedly helping to boost the paper’s finances Axios.
“Now, you know, there’s almost a hundred people, like dozens of software engineers, business analysts, and an editorial director,” he said. “When they were editing, they were like, ‘Yeah, I just, I don’t think we need that word here. Let’s try to get rid of it.'”
one era” The spokesman rejected the idea that the crossword puzzle creation process was entirely political.
“We thank Mr. Rust for his many contributions to our new york times crossword puzzles over the years,” a spokesperson told independent. “Each crossword puzzle follows a standard review process, including rigorous testing and fact-checking. Our goal, as always, is to produce the best puzzles that challenge and delight the solver. Politics have no influence on our puzzles.”
Last said that despite having been making crossword puzzles for years, he still struggled to think of what to think of these popular puzzles — games played on quiet afternoons at home, on the way to work, and even by reporters in the White House briefing room.
“Sometimes I do think it’s just a game,” he said. “Sometimes I really like people who see it as a similar force of cultural arbitration.”
Asked what reaction he expected to his book, and whether it would draw the ire of conservatives or liberals, he said, “I’m sure there will be itching and irritation on all sides.”