In the early hours of August 29, 2025, the Greenwich Village apartment building of The New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn became the latest flashpoint in the ongoing debate over media coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. Vandals splattered red paint across the entrance, walls, steps, and lamps of the storied Fifth Avenue building, leaving behind a pointed message in black marker on the pavement: “Joe Kahn lies Gaza dies.” The New York Police Department responded just before 5 a.m., and as of August 30, no arrests have been made. The investigation remains ongoing, according to statements given to multiple outlets including The New York Post, CNN, and NBC News.
This act of vandalism is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern. Over the past months, anti-Israel activists have repeatedly targeted Kahn personally and The New York Times as an institution, accusing the paper of manufacturing consent for what they describe as “genocide” in Gaza. In July 2025, the Times Square headquarters of The New York Times was also defaced with red paint and graffiti reading, “NYT lies Gaza dies.” Protesters have stormed the paper’s offices, and similar demonstrations have unfolded across the country, as activists call for a ceasefire and greater scrutiny of the war’s reporting.
Joseph Kahn, who took the helm as executive editor in 2022, resides in one of New York City’s architectural gems. The 11-story Beaux Arts co-op, built in 1905 and converted in 1978, is renowned for its limestone façade, wrought-iron balconies, and ornate marble lobby. The building has long attracted celebrities and power brokers; Hollywood star Julia Roberts once owned a penthouse there, and Marlon Brando was also a past resident. Kahn’s unit last sold for around $1.6 million in 2009, though larger apartments have fetched up to $17 million in recent years, according to StreetEasy.
The Times has responded to the incidents with a firm stance. “People are free to disagree with The New York Times’s reporting but vandalism and targeting of individuals and their families crosses a line and we will work with authorities to address it,” said spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander, echoing similar statements made after previous protests. Danielle Rhoades Ha, another spokesperson for the paper, emphasized, “As an independent news organization, we receive criticism regularly from those representing entrenched perspectives, hoping to change our reporting. While we support the right of groups and individuals to express their point of view, we will not let advocacy groups sway us from covering the conflict fully and fairly.”
The catalyst for the latest round of outrage appears to be the Times’ coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Last month, the paper ran a front-page story on famine in the territory, focusing on 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, a child suffering from severe malnutrition. After pro-Israel groups criticized the story, citing the boy’s pre-existing health conditions, the Times appended a correction, noting his medical problems affected his brain and muscle development. “We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems,” the Times said in a statement on July 29. “This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of the situation.”
The famine in Gaza has become a point of fierce international debate. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading global authority on food crises, Gaza is experiencing the “worst-case scenario of famine.” The organization reported last week, “Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths. Latest data indicates that Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City.”
World leaders have weighed in, often with sharply divergent views. Former President Donald Trump described the situation as “real starvation” in Gaza. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the conditions a “moral outrage” and placed blame on Israel’s “refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza.” In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports of famine, asserting that claims of hunger in Gaza are “an outright lie.”
The broader context is grim. The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to the Israeli government, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with only 20 believed to be alive. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 63,000, with 159,490 injured since the war’s onset. These staggering numbers have only heightened tensions and scrutiny of media coverage, as both sides accuse outlets of bias or manipulation.
Inside the Times newsroom, the conflict has also sparked internal debate. Staff have clashed over sourcing in investigations of Hamas’ alleged sexual violence, and unionized employees have accused management of targeting Middle Eastern reporters. These disputes reflect the broader polarization in the United States and globally, as the war in Gaza continues to divide public opinion and challenge journalistic norms.
For many, the red paint on Joseph Kahn’s doorstep is more than an act of protest or vandalism—it’s a symbol of the intense pressures facing news organizations in an era of hyper-partisan conflict and social media-fueled activism. The Greenwich Village co-op, with its storied past and celebrity residents, now finds itself at the center of a storm that extends far beyond its marble lobby and wrought-iron balconies.
As the NYPD continues its investigation, the questions raised by the incident remain unresolved. How should media outlets navigate the competing demands of accuracy, sensitivity, and independence in covering one of the world’s most divisive conflicts? What lines should not be crossed in protest, and who gets to decide where those lines are? For Joseph Kahn and The New York Times, the answers are anything but simple, and the story—like the conflict itself—shows no signs of fading from public view.
