Nor was this presented about the entirety of Russia. The NYT has featured the infrastructure and inequality problems in America dozens of times. If you actually read the paper it's a theme that appears almost daily (healthcare is a big part of this). Here's a very recent example that I remember reading titled "Inequality in America: The Data Is Sobering":
Nor was this presented about the entirety of Russia.
I disagree there, the strapline talks of a heartland in decline, and the article talks of the rest of Russia as separate from the two major cities. Not sure I would have called this propaganda myself but it does read to me as a portrait of the entire country and system in decline, not a single journey, partly because of the framing and strap.
If you actually read the paper
I've read it extensively for years thanks as I used to be a subscriber; the snark is not helpful.
Here's a very recent example that I remember reading titled "Inequality in America: The Data Is Sobering"
I agree the NYT features some great writing and some great journalism (including the article you cite). I'm not trying to say they never criticise the US, but that they haven't produced splashy front-page spreads about the decline of the once great nation of America which compare to this article - given the recent hostilities between Russia and the US (Georgia, Syria, Snowden), they should be doubly careful about cheering on the side of a very partial US administration or denigrating Russia as a country. To my mind, they haven't challenged that administration sufficiently on drones, surveillance, budget, wars, Guantanamo bay, etc. They have published critical articles but have also published many apologias for the gov. position, and on Snowden for example their coverage has been more notable by its absence from the front page than by its presence. I remember when the story broke the largest story on their home page for the day was a story about high prices in Disney theme parks.
Still, they compare well to almost every other newspaper, most of them have their blind spots, and there are some real high points in their coverage IMHO, like The drone that killed my grandson, though that was an op-ed rather than one of their writers.
But then again most of the US is not like Detroit. There are many pockets of disenfranchisement throughout the country, but by and large the infrastructure and social institutions are in decent shape considering their scale. In contrast, much of Russia is dilapidated.
