Journalistic Credibility?

The Times issued an explanation for the op-ed piece they edited. I blogged about it here. Michelle Malkin and others probably got a good laugh out of the opening sentence.

UPHOLDING the journalistic integrity of The New York Times requires a lot of care.

When you have to clarify a correction because of how the first was perceived, one should be wondering why readers perceived it that way in the first place. Does the Times have their heads buried in the sand in regards to how low the paper has sunk or Do they simply not care?