Your points are worth making, but your tone paints you clearly in the fanboi camp. This line is particularly goofy sounding:
"I think that the NY Times is just jealous -- after all, Instagram is worth more."
You do know that newspaper articles are written by individuals, right? The CEO of the Times probably didn't even have any idea that such an article was being written.
The CEO doesn't necessarily know about each article, but you know the Times doesn't run a hatchet job on a major corporation without it filtering up to the top floor offices. Story lists are circulated among the executives. When I was a photographer for Reuters and Sipa (1996-2002), I had, on occasion, photos that would find their way up to the executive level before they'd be released. I can specifically remember my photos from Jasper, Texas and the James Bird Jr. murder getting some extra attention before they went out on the wire. Another situation involved a Black Panther protest and KKK counter-protest at the Gary Graham execution in Huntsville, TX.
Executives definitely know what's going on, especially with highly visible targets.
Stories are promoted, killed, "massaged" or delayed for various reasons by the executives. To believe otherwise is naïve.
The Times is losing subscribers, losing profits and you bet your ass that reporters are worried about it -- their jobs depend on the company's survival. Apple is increasing profits, hiring people and they're also non-union. Polar opposite of the NY Times organization. I'm not disputing any of the Times's facts, I am disputing the slant. Instead of addressing the very high youth unemployment among recent college graduates, they instead attack a company that's creating jobs -- without government "stimulus." That scares the typical Times reporters because it goes against their common refrain that government spending is necessary to save the economy.
Apple devices, specifically the iPad have cut into traditional newspaper profits substantially as well. It could be said that the internet killed the newspaper and the iPad is just fast tracking that process. People are consuming more content, but they are paying for it less frequently.
They could have run the same article about McDonalds. Billions in worldwide sales, yet cashiers are making low wages with no 401k, no stock purchase and very modest, if any health coverage. Yet, the take on Apple. What's the motivation? Are employees being abused? No. Are they being paid below market value? No. Are they being denied benefits? No.
What's the story? "Apple employees make less than the executives but more than nearly everyone else in retail." Big f'ing deal.
"I think that the NY Times is just jealous -- after all, Instagram is worth more."
You do know that newspaper articles are written by individuals, right? The CEO of the Times probably didn't even have any idea that such an article was being written.