Zach Montague

Zach Montague is a reporter for The New York Times, covering the U.S. Department of Education, the White House and federal courts. He is based in Washington and has been with The Times since 2015. Before moving to the Washington bureau in 2019, he covered dozens of federal criminal trials and breaking news under two administrations. Montague has a degree in government and China & Asia Pacific studies from Cornell and grew up in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. He previously spent two years in the Times' Standards department, which oversees ethical guidelines for journalism, and is committed to maintaining these standards while covering domestic policy and the federal judiciary. Montague does not participate in politics or make political contributions and always identifies himself as a reporter for The Times while working. He strives to understand the issues he covers comprehensively and present them fairly. Montague can be contacted via email at zachary.montague@nytimes.com or zjmontague@proton.me, or through his LinkedIn profile.

Biography:  https://www.nytimes.com/by/zach-montague

69%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

84%

Examples:

  • Monetary Bias
  • Religious Bias

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • The author has a degree in government and China & Asia Pacific studies from Cornell.

Contradictions

84%

Examples:

  • Applications for federal financial aid plunged this year due to delays and glitches caused by the disastrous rollout of the new application form.
  • Judges may have improperly applied federal sentencing guidelines to Larry Brock for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.
  • The theme of the state dinner is springtime in Washington, D.C.

Deceptions

45%

Examples:

  • The article incorrectly states that Peter Navarro was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of criminal contempt of Congress.
  • The author quotes Larry R. Brock Jr.'s actions without providing any context or explanation
  • The author uses selective reporting by only mentioning one aspect of Brock Jr.'s conviction (obstructing Congress) while ignoring other charges that were also part of his sentence enhancement

Recent Articles

Steve Bannon's Prison Sentence Upheld: Denied Stay Amid Contempt of Congress Conviction

Steve Bannon's Prison Sentence Upheld: Denied Stay Amid Contempt of Congress Conviction

Broke On: Friday, 16 June 2023 Steve Bannon, a former Trump advisor, was denied his bid to delay prison time on June 16, 2023. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against him in a 2-1 decision for contempt of Congress charges related to refusing a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.
Botched FAFSA Rollout Causes Chaos, Thousands Unable to Submit Applications, Potentially Impacting College Enrollments

Botched FAFSA Rollout Causes Chaos, Thousands Unable to Submit Applications, Potentially Impacting College Enrollments

Broke On: Wednesday, 01 May 2024 Thousands of students face uncertainty over college enrollment due to technical issues with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including high school senior Ashnaelle Bijoux from Norwich, Connecticut.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Tours Toyota's Electric Battery Manufacturing Site and HondaJet Facility in North Carolina, Meets with President Biden and Lawmakers at the White House

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Tours Toyota's Electric Battery Manufacturing Site and HondaJet Facility in North Carolina, Meets with President Biden and Lawmakers at the White House

Broke On: Wednesday, 10 April 2024 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tours Toyota's electric battery manufacturing site and HondaJet facility during his visit to the United States. He will meet with President Biden and lawmakers on Wednesday.
Federal Appeals Court Overturns Enhancement Used in Jan. 6 Riot Sentencing, Resentencing Possible for More Than 100 Convicted Individuals

Federal Appeals Court Overturns Enhancement Used in Jan. 6 Riot Sentencing, Resentencing Possible for More Than 100 Convicted Individuals

Broke On: Saturday, 02 March 2024 A federal appeals court overturned an enhancement used to determine the punishments of more than 100 people convicted of participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, meaning they may have to be resentenced.
Former Trump Trade Adviser Sentenced to Prison for Contempt of Congress over Jan. 6 Attack Investigation

Former Trump Trade Adviser Sentenced to Prison for Contempt of Congress over Jan. 6 Attack Investigation

Broke On: Thursday, 25 January 2024 Peter Navarro, a Harvard-trained economist and former trade adviser to President Donald Trump, was sentenced on Thursday to four months in prison for contempt of Congress. He had been subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S Capitol but refused to comply with it.