New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has repeatedly publicized the evils of the Village Voice Media-owned classified site Backpage.com in what has been a systematic campaign to shut the site down.
This week’s edition seems to target critics who argue that prostitution, while illegal, is often still voluntary, and includes the tale of a young New York prostitute who was branded by her pimp. (“Such branding is a reminder that women being sold on the streets in America are – not always, but often – victims rather than criminals,” Kristof writes.)Â Most of the girl’s dates, she says, came from Backpage.
This newest column comes amid heavy pressure on the company’s advertisers, 36 of which have already pulled their ads, and attorneys general around the country.
