Alert Slog readers noticed that my numerous posts about Marlee Ginter’s inaccurate, sloppy, lying, sexphobic hit piece on the Center for Sex Positive Culture have been… amended. References to a certain breed of ruminant that shall remain nameless are out, replaced by a bracketed reference to Ginter’s professed profession.
So, like, why?
I said that we wanted Ginter to retract and apologize—to the Center, to author Brian Alexander, to the viewers she and Dan Lewis lied to. The piece is already off KOMO’s website, but Ginter and Lewis and KOMO haven’t, so far as I’m aware, retracted the piece or apologized.
Now here’s what happened behind the scenes: their lawyer called our lawyer in the middle of last week and asked us to stop being so darn mean. There was no threat of litigation because there wasn’t any grounds for litigation—there were no copyright problems, no defamation issues, no liability on our part whatsoever, and the over the top stuff—some of the posts, the videos, references to ruminants—was clearly parody. So… that’s where the lawyer-to-lawyer interactions ended. Then on Friday KOMO’s general manager called and appealed to… well, you’re never going to believe this. He appealed to our humanity. That’s right, our humanity. Ginter was very, very, very, very upset and wouldn’t we pretty please take her feelings into consideration and stop suggesting that she might be [a damn fine journalist]? Please?
And that’s why Slog has been goat free since Sunday night. I know this answer won’t satisfy some, and that it seems wildly out of character, but we’re actually being… considerate. More considerate of Ginter’s feelings than she’s been of anyone else’s. Now we don’t have to be nice, and, after the hatchet job they did on Center, Ginter and KOMO have no right to expect gentle treatment.
I reserve the right to restore the posts to their original state—so the handful of Ginterphiles lurking in comments screaming and yelling about how we’re gonna get our pants sued off might want to 1. talk to a lawyer and 2. refrain from pushing it. Ginter wants this [damn fine journalist] stuff to go away, after all, so you’re not doing her any favors if you provoke me into putting all those [damn fine journalist] references back up.
I’m shocked an appalled. Y’all have humanity?
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
This is ridiculous, they have no grounds to sue you, and its Ginter’s fault that she’s in this mess for making shoddy work.
If she wants to clear her name she should run a piece apologizing and discussing the truth instead of all the crap she ran in the piece.
She should have to make the effort to make herself feel better, not you.
This is hugely disappointing.
Quit bragging.
The KOMO piece was crap, but the Stranger’s reaction was way over the top. IMO, it was like returning a shot fired by a bb gun with a canon.
I think as contrition, she and a goat should appear on the steps of The Stranger offices and be challenged to a tin can eating contest.
Only then will I be assuaged.
@2 I just laughed so hard I hurt.
I think it’s fine… the point was made, no need to crucify her forever. She’s just out to make money, like most of us, and if she has to sell her soul to do it, like most of us, so be it.
So I finally watched it. She really buries the lead doesn’t she? Anyway the stranger gets stupider every day. That’s the best you can come up with? “Blows Goats”? That’s very clever. Those are the big guns Dan brings out when he’s really P.O.’ed.
You fucking bitch. Did their lawyers call Brian Alexander asking him to “please” start being a team player? Did you even want an apology, or did you just enjoy the attention? Doesn’t matter. Nobody is getting an apology, but that obviously hasn’t stopped you from throwing up your own words. You should apologize to us for being such a pushover.
Having fun with your points doesn’t ruin them. Everything has been awesome up until the last post. Now it’s all shit. What a waste.
People sure are critical, aren’t they?
I heard you guys have some damn fine journalists over there at the Stranger.
Dan got the hack journalist’s attention, has stopped stomping his feet and screaming, and has proven himself to be a complete wuss.
It was wrong from the beginning.
Really shows how much room you’ve got for improvement when you’re taking your lessons in humanity from the general manager at KOMO.
And now, back to posting videos bashing Mormons…
The baby wants his bottle! Act like an adult Savage.
Thanks, Dan! You’re the only little prick I can deal with!
Are we still allowed to assert that Ginter might have sucked of goats in the comments?
Ouch – people – easy. It was an interesting post-election trivial storyline for a while – and Dan proved a point quite well. It had to end somehow and had kinda run out of steam.
Hell, some of the best old SNL skits had no real ending.
Bottom line – this routine denouement hardly deserves the backlash (though I hear there is a seminar on back lashing at the center tonight…)
Keep on keepin on, Dan.
@whiners :`(
The post’s toggling between “I” and “we” seems a little weird.
WUSS!
Given that KOMO has no ground to stand on, why don’t you tell us the real reason you stopped, DAN?
YOU
GOT
BORED.
Since it seems that you have the attention span of an ADD afflicted gnat, your points come off as meek at best, and retarded at worst.
Really, you had a GOOD point for once. KOMO made a salacious story that was in error. It misinformed the Seattle public, and will get away with it without making a public retraction. Those who saw the report and don’t read the online forums (you know, most people over the age of 50), are still misinformed. When they finally got caught at lying to capitalize on sweeps, the point gets dropped because of FEELINGS?!
Did Brian Alexander’s feelings get considered in the abuse of his previous interview? Did the CSPC’s feelings get considered in the making of the report? Should KOMO or Ginter’s feelings be considered in the reporting of this? NO.
Your point hasn’t been made. KOMO didn’t get it. Ginter didn’t get it. But, everybody else got the real point when we read this post: that the news behemoth’s can do what they want without any actual repercussion.
So does she or does she not blow goats? I’m still leaning towards she does.
Dan’s just a great big softy. Happy Thanksgiving! I feel all warm and gooey.
@22, like having the editor of an alt weekly making up a silly thing to make the rounds on the blog of the alt weekly and google are repercussions. people expect these childish antics from savage.
The only piece that I’m uncomfortable about is the way your comment about Ginter changes from an unfounded rumor (“may blow goats”) to an out and out lie (“may be a damn fine journalist.)
I can’t prove or disprove the first comment (not being or owning a goat.) but I’ve seen proof that the replacement isn’t correct.
Well, if she is suspected of sucking off goats I really think it’s your responsibility to report it. News is news right? Isn’t blowing goats a crime?
They think they can shit on us because we won’t fight back.
I think those fuckers need to be afraid of us.
I’m not exactly sure who “us” is — I wouldn’t be caught dead in a sex club — but I just hate bullying. Fucking local tv news.
You obviously had leverage, Dan. What did KOMO’s general manager say he would do in return for you backing off? Or did he just say, “I don’t want to apologize or make up for it in any way, I just want you to stop attacking us”?
‘Cause if that’s the case, well…you’re lame. Quid pro quo is the name of the game.
The wet spot is a great place and a great public service.
Fuck this cunt with a red hot poker.
And I find your selective humanity, cowardly at best and fucking hypocritical at worst.
I want to know HOW bad this makes her feel. I want to see some fucking contrition. What a bunch of bullshit.
I want to see tears from this bitch for her hatchet job. And fuck her feelings. Life is about pain, and she had better learn from her mistakes, otherwise, its back to some third tier market like South Bend, IN.
I want to see some personal correspondence explaining how she can’t sleep at night now.
Fuck you Dan for being a coward.
@25 This could easily escalate into a report in the alt weekly which could be picked up by a paper like the Seattle Times/Seattle Weekly, or at least a rival news team. It doesn’t take much to snowball things from the trivial (Dan’s none-too-clever posts about goat sucking) to an actual frothy public outrage by various means.
Come on, Dan. You talked to the guy, did you ask him about that apology? Is there any indication that they will make an apology or correction? Because “stop being so mean” just isn’t good enough.
Personally I feel that humanity should only be returned for like humanity, apologize for the hack job KOMO, and then and only then should it stop. Otherwise, Dan, if you’re not going to hold these people accountable, I don’t want to hear you bitching about any subsequent media outlets distortion of the facts. If not now then when?
You should put the goat comments back up. There was nothing wrong with them. You shouldn’t have caved.
Your posts were quality satire. :shrug:
@29, @32 echo my sentiments. Why back off the goat references if KOMO and Ginter aren’t going to apologize? LAME LAME LAME.
Well done, Dan. You made your point (hysterically) and you pulled the stinger when it was appropriate to do so.
I think Ms. Ginter owes you a couple thousand dollars for the graduate-level course in journalism you just gave her. In a word: schooled.
🙂
censoring shit is just lame.
accompanying photo of goat? makes this entry HILARIOUS.
I am glad that you put KOMO and Ms. Ginter on notice and will keep your word about hammering them the next time Ginter, or anyone over at KOMO, does such a shitty “expose.” But hammer her over any story they fuck up. Don’t wait for it to be about sex. And write new, and nastier, things about them.
You don’t want to be accused of beating off a dead goat.
It is time to book a SHITSTORM. Brendan – get on this.
On stage: Savage, Allena from the Center, Lewis, Ginter, KOMO producers, Alexander via phone, and all lawyers involved. And of course: the audience
Rendezvous is too small. Go for Town Hall.
you must think your readers are idiots, and some of them are. but it iwas nice of KOMO to lry you try to save face and pretend you did this out of the kindness of your heart. lol! they must have scared the shit out of you. actually censoring every single post?! yeah, you did that just to be nice, sure., dan!!
like most bullies, dan is just a coward. big talker, no balls.
I’m pleased as punch that you folks down at the Stranger actually exhibit some humanity. I mean, other than Strangercrombie, of course.
Still, nowhere in this piece am I seeing an apology from Marlee Ginter, or from Dan Lewis, or from KOMO. Nor am I seeing any acknowledgment that there was anything at all wrong with their hit piece or standards of journalism. Nothing at all to indicate that they have gotten the point. All I have seen them do in response is (1) defend their gross mischaracterization of Brian Alexander’s words, (2) pulled the video off their website, and (3) begged you to stop being mean to them.
So, fine, remove all references to the possibility of Ginter sucking off goats. Be nice all you want. But until I hear a sincere apology to Brian Alexander, the CSPC, or the public for their hack job, I will no longer consider KOMO a legitimate source of news. If that is what passes for journalism at KOMO, then I guess they are the Seattle local version of FOX, opinion thinly disguised as journalism, for whom actual facts or truth are meaningless.
Who the fuck cares….Might make her think twice the next time she’s putting a story together. And the high road is a nice way to go sometimes.
“Fuck you Dan for being a coward.” – ecce home
Thanks anonymous internet commenter. How are those double standards treating you?
For fucking hell people. The first posts about this were full of people whining about how mean Dan was being, how stupid this stunt was, and how likely it was that he was going to get sued.
Now it’s all people whining about what a wuss Dan is (maybe, but whatever), how stupid it is to stop the stunt, and saying Dan doesn’t have balls. Why exactly doesn’t he have balls? As he explained (and I explained in an earlier comment and anyone with a elementary working knowledge of libel law would have explained), there really isn’t a risk of Dan or the Stranger being sued here. The balls comment is idiotic, what is Dan backing down from?
I was fine with the initial post – it made a point at least – and I’m find with this decision. Dan got their attention (obviously) and now Ginter will surely be considering how Dan will react to a future piece of shit report of hers. Surely Dan is now in her head, which is probably the best thing that could happen for her reporting.
ZZzzzz…..ZZzzzz…..Zzzzzz….
you all of you are hateful people. komo does god knows how many stories a day and you’re all still stuck on this one from a week ago. let it go. do something useful with your energy and time, and no, whining about a story and calling for the head of a local reporter is not a good use. BTW, marlee’s done hundreds of stories since working here, is everyone here saying one bad one completely wipes out all of the good ones? jeez, get off your soapbox and try to think if the same standard was held to you.
She blows goats. I have proof.
Did any of this result in a retraction from KOMO or on=air apology from Ginter? No? Then what was the point of backing down? KOMO just proved they can get away with shitty non-stories like this with no real repercussions.