Don't give them credit.
It is a very crafty "limited hangout"[1]. It is designed to distract that they are doing the exact thing they are crying foul about, under the guise of being "open" re their opinion section.
My opinion: If you (or others) still think NYT is the "good guy", you are in for some massive disappointment. Or maybe not? Ignorance has always had a nice element of bliss derived from it.