McKinley began his career in journalism while still in college, working for local radio stations in Ithaca and stringing for
The Syracuse Post Standard from 1982 to 1985. McKinley was the editor of the local New York City paper,
West Side Spirit. He was an editor and staff writer at
The Greenwich Time, the
Greenwich, Connecticut daily. He currently works as an editor on the Metro desk specializing in criminal justice and law enforcement.
Controversy On March 8, 2011,
The New York Times published an article by McKinley on the rape of an eleven-year-old girl in the East Texas town of
Cleveland. The story prompted outrage, not only because of the crime involved - a gang rape perpetrated by 18 boys and men - but also because of criticism over how McKinley framed the piece: relying heavily on quotes from individuals who blamed the victim, scant attention to reporting details on the boys and men involved, and an overemphasis on the impoverished environment where the assault occurred. On March 11, 2011,
The New York Times public editor Arthur R. Brisbane agreed that the piece lacked critical balance by relying heavily on quotes from individuals who expressed concern for the perpetrators, as well as detailing the victim's appearance. McKinley and
The New York Times, Brisbane determined, created an impression that the victim "had it coming". Brisbane never interviewed McKinley, nor his editors, before writing his column. On March 29, 2011, the
Times published a second article by McKinley and Erica Goode that delved more deeply into the criminal backgrounds of many of the alleged rapists as well as the family of the victim which left no doubt the girl was the victim of a horrendous crime. ==Personal life==