[jonnyone]

>It's very odd to me. I've seen people directly telling leadership that we are overworked, that schedules are impossible, that we need to work on group morale, etc - and it very obviously meant nothing to the leaders. You could almost see the words washing over them and leaving nothing behind and indeed, nothing ever came from complaints or feedback like that (so far as I could tell). And yet, if a NYT reporter writes a single article, instant and dramatic reaction.

This shouldn't really surprise you. Mass media are essentially the arbiters of morality. Whether what they publish is factually true or not, the perception will change accordingly. Your "leaders" and co-workers don't have that kind of power.