Its a good apology.
It's a good apology. Thatree Thitivongvaroon / Getty

Yesterday I yelled at KUOW for granting anonymity and an interview to the Nazi who got punched last week, and for then justifying that action by citing the ideology of both sides journalism. KUOW managing producer Brendan Sweeney told me that the team who runs The Record, a mid-day show hosted by Bill Radke, felt compelled to interview the guy because they'd recently interviewed another guy who spoke approvingly of punching Nazis.

Today on his show, Radke issued a heartfelt apology for taking that interview: "Our humanity is precious and it’s vulnerable," he said. "Journalists have a responsibility to guard it. I knew that, but I let my duty slip this week. I’m sorry for that. You should expect better from KUOW. I promise to do better."


It's hard to apologize like this, and he and everyone at The Record should be commended for it. If anyone vowed not to donate to public radio on account of this mistake, I'd encourage you to rescind the vow.