The New York Times is getting skewered online for a tone-deaf report that seemingly “discovered” Christian cross necklaces — something millions of Americans have been wearing for generations.

In an article published this week, the Times appeared shocked by the “prevalence” of cross necklaces, citing public figures like White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Attorney General Pam Bondi as examples of the growing trend. The story, written by Misty White Sidell, not only listed prominent wearers of the cross but included a history lesson on its symbolism dating back to pre-Christian times.

That bizarre framing immediately triggered widespread ridicule across social media, where critics accused the Gray Lady of being comically out of touch with mainstream America.

“This is real. People wear crosses and the NYT is ON IT,” quipped commentator Mary Katharine Ham.

Education activist Erika Sanzi chimed in with sarcasm: “So new that everybody’s nana has worn one since forever… Also every Italian guy I know.”

From across the political and cultural spectrum, readers couldn’t help but mock what they saw as an embarrassing case of coastal elitism. Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review slammed the editorial process that allowed the article to go live, saying, “The fact that this piece got through the Times’s editorial process without anyone saying, ‘um … guys?’ shows exactly why the press always seems so clueless about the country it is supposed to cover.”

Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics put it bluntly: “The author probably doesn’t know a single person who wears one, which is why it’s treated as a novelty.”

It’s not the first time the Times has faced backlash for clumsy cultural takes. Critics point to the paper’s frequent confusion about religious Americans and non-coastal communities, often treating long-standing traditions or beliefs as exotic phenomena. As Charlie Camosy, a Fordham University theology professor, put it: “In certain bizarrely isolated contexts, public displays of religiosity (even something as common as cross necklaces) are so uncommon that they become successful pitches for New York Times stories.”

Many online noted that the piece’s tone — which analyzed cross necklaces as though they were the next big fashion trend — only served to highlight how out of step much of the media is with the country’s values. Others pointed to the irony of a major legacy outlet failing to grasp a basic facet of American life, even while claiming to cover its culture.

While the article tried to take a neutral or even curious tone, the subtext seemed to imply that public expressions of Christianity are some sort of new or noteworthy development. For millions of Americans, that idea was as absurd as reporting that people are wearing wedding rings or carrying wallets.

The moment also reignited broader concerns about how establishment media outlets filter their coverage through deeply secular or progressive lenses — ones that leave them unable to understand traditions rooted in faith, family, or patriotism.

And for those keeping score, this isn’t even the first time the New York Times has found itself in hot water for a “discovery” article. In 2019, they published a now-infamous piece exploring “poop shame” in the workplace, which became a viral laughingstock.

This latest controversy may seem small, but it highlights a much larger issue: when legacy media forgets how to relate to ordinary people, they don’t just lose credibility — they lose the plot altogether.