As a foreigner who has only occasionally read articles in the NYT when following links to them, I think the issue is more like extreme disappointment than hate.

As a foreigner who has only occasionally read articles in the NYT when following links to them, I think the issue is more like extreme disappointment than hate. It's clear from reading comments by Americans (not just on HN) that the New York Times was considered something of a cultural institution, a pillar of society, a bit like how the BBC used to be perceived in the UK. Perception: If the NYT published something then it was almost certainly true, it was high quality, it cared about journalistic standards, was respected around the world, a unifying force, etc. Then at some point the NYT changed. A lot of news institutions changed. Or maybe we just got the tools to understand their true nature, who knows. Whatever happened, that perception is now fatally damaged amongst very large numbers of people, in fact majorities of people in both the USA and the UK are now telling pollsters they no longer trust the NYT or the BBC. Those people are angry about it. They want to be able to trust these institutions - it makes life simpler if you can read the news and believe it. But they're realising that they cannot. This anger mixed with disappointment can sometimes look like hate, and in some cases it perhaps becomes that, because these institutions are still vigorously manipulating the large minority that still trusts them and it's natural that this could cause resentment.