GOOD MORNING: There have been several comments and questions about the story that appeared in The Stranger last week ["There's a Dubya in 'Weekly,'" Josh Feit, April 22]. To clear up those questions, it should be pointed out that Mr. Feit got his facts about Seattle Weekly/Village Voice Media ownership wrong, thus the entire foundation of the story is incorrect and his conclusions are not a product of the facts but of his desire to report a story that suits the needs of The Stranger to take potshots at Seattle Weekly. Oh well, so what's new with that.
Specifically, neither Goldman Sachs nor CIBC own Village Voice Media. They do, however, manage media investment funds that happen to own shares in Village Voice Media. The owners of those media investment funds are made up of institutional and private investors. In the most simple of terms, Goldman Sachs is the middleman in the deal. It is the institutional and private investors that own Village Voice Media.
As for the remainder of Mr. Feat's [sic] claims, they are so utterly ridiculous, they are not really worthy of comment. However, if anyone, employees, clients, readers, etc., have questions about this, I am happy to discuss this further.
Terry [Coe]
Publisher
Seattle Weekly
JOSH FEIT RESPONDS: Terry, I'm sure it was just an oversight that you didn't cc me on your response to the article in which I reported that Seattle Weekly's part-owner Goldman Sachs is one of George W. Bush's all-time top-10 contributors, donating $301,225 to Bush in this year's election cycle alone. Thankfully, someone on your staff sent your internal company e-mail my way.
The distinction you're attempting to draw between "middleman" and "owner" is bogus. Goldman Sachs is one of the investment partners that puts up the money to create Village Voice Media. Goldman Sachs is not a "middleman." It is, according to stories in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the New York Observer, Village Voice Media's "investor," "backer," and "part owner." As I also reported in my article, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told me the company is a "stakeholder" and an "investor" in Seattle Weekly/Village Voice Media.
As much as we enjoy taking goofy potshots at the Weekly, and as slow-moving a target as Seattle Weekly is, this situation is not trivial. Seattle Weekly sells itself to an audience that is decidedly anti-George W. Bush, exploiting the sentiment of its readers and ultimately its advertisers, and then one of Seattle Weekly's owners--Goldman Sachs--funnels some of the money the Weekly makes in Seattle to George W. Bush. If this wasn't of interest to your employees, clients, readers, etc., Terry, you wouldn't be in the position of having to "discuss this further" with them.
It's also no trivial matter that you are willing to offer up mis-leading explanations to your employees, clients, readers, etc. The question you really should answer for your employees, clients, readers, etc. is this: Just who are the "institutional and private investors that own Village Voice Media" other than the ones I named in my article?
NEXT TIME SHOP AT LOWE'S
TO THE EDITOR: Though I deplore the current administration, I have to ask questions in reference to the article about the Bush/ Seattle Weekly connection. First, does anyone here shop at Home Depot? Best check its donations records. The CEO has been in the White House as a guest more than once. And what if the company that owns the company where you buy groceries has a CEO that worships Satan? What gas company isn't Saudi-connected and, in the end, funding terrorism? That sort of discrimination in buying would lead to relatively few choices. Where does it stop?
Secondly, if it were a case where the journalism was compromised at the Weekly because of those donations, then there would be an argument. Has the Weekly editor maintained the Bush bashing? I have been reading The Elements of Journalism lately because of my interest in pursuing a career in that field. In that book this very issue is addressed. I don't see a problem until there is an attempt to diminish the truth or change the journalist's loyalty from his or her readers to the company. It does raise an interesting challenge, when there is such a stress these days toward the bottom line, to be able to say that "I work for the people, but you pay me." A return to journalistic integrity starts with reporters and editors remembering what they exist for and sticking to those principles.
So I am not so concerned about Goldman Sachs donating to Bush as much as I am that the staff at the Weekly, and The Stranger, and the Seattle Times for that matter, all understand their places in our society.
Rob Harrison
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS & HALL OF FAME: In our 13-32 issue, we incorrectly identified Paul Allen's forthcoming Science Fiction Museum as "the Science Fiction Museum." The real name, publicists have repeatedly informed us, is the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame. We deeply regret the error and the hall of fame.
