Editors, since they simply have to review the piece and what gets on the page is whatever is the best to choose from, are a lot more likely to approve a piece.

Editors, since they simply have to review the piece and what gets on the page is whatever is the best to choose from, are a lot more likely to approve a piece. Your view of the role of an editor is incorrect. My observations of the newsroom I work in (as a developer) are quite different. My organization has a similar partnership with the New York Times, and some of our stories have made the front page of the national edition, not just the regional edition. Your view of The New York Times's willingness to publish pieces that don't meet its standards are based on speculation.