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News & ArtsTuesday, June 23, 2009
Media Jeff? Is That You?
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:40 AM
KUOW listener Eric B.says he sent this note to KUOW via the local NPR outlet's contact page...
After reading several commentaries on Anna King's reporting of the recent Washington state tree farm marijuana bust, including this one from Dan Savage, I am inclined to agree. I love KUOW, but am saddened when the reporting on the so-called "war" on drugs is as one-sided as Ms. King's report. I hope she takes this criticism to heart, looks into her own possible biases. Please forward this on to her.Sincerely,
Eric B.
...and Eric says he received this response from KUOW Program Director Jeff Hanson:
The Stranger and especially Dan Savage are both hate-filled, mean-spirited, and wrong most of the time. I did forward your comment to her editor but advised him not to send it to her. We do appreciate constructive comments from listeners like you, but that is not something provided in The Stranger.
And Eric says he replied to Jeff...
whoa... touch a nerve?what's not constructive about asking a reporter to report a whole story? checking personal biases? i know nothing i'd rather hear as a reporter, or as a human being, for that matter. grow the fuck up, jeff
I think it's a hoax. Jeff can't really believe that Stranger writers are hate-filled, mean-spirited, and mostly wrong. I mean, with Stranger writers and editors appearing on Weekday, The Conversation, and This American Life all the time? Here's Jen Graves being interviewed by Marci Sillman. Here's Eli Sanders on The Conversation and a recent edition of Weekday. Here's Dominic Holden on The Conversation. Here's Charles Mudede on Sound Focus. Here's Lindy West on KUOW Presents. Here's David Schmader on Sound Focus. I'm downtown this morning to record something for Morning Edition. I just can't believe that Jeff said that. But I sent an email over to check.
UPDATE: Jeff says Jeff said that!
Dan,I think it was an emotional over-reaction to the headline. I think it is fine to critique our journalism. If the headline is meant to cause a strong reaction, it worked. I do disagree with your conclusions about the piece.
Jeff
An emotional overreaction to the headline? Really? That's what we do here at Slog, Jeff. It's pretty much all we do! Which means... hey! You're one of us! I am taking KUOW off Slog's Enemies List and putting you guys on Slog's Friends List. Who knew we had so much in common? I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
1
I think you guys are hate-filled, mean-spirited, and mostly wrong... that's the whole reason I keep reading!
2
It might have to do with your calling them credulous fucking hacks rather than engaging in any kind of meaningful dialogue.
5
Nah, he called you out for what you've done.
Revel in it.
But don't try to pretend it isn't what gets you out of bed each day.
Revel in it.
But don't try to pretend it isn't what gets you out of bed each day.
6
Like or not the relaxed attitude towards drugs is leading to a marked increase in violence in Seattle. Don't blame it on the war on drugs! You can argue that violence would not be as much of a problem if drugs were fully legal by the Feds but that is NOT the current climate so Seattle residents are prisoners to gang turf wars over supplying potheads and police are now muted in their attempt to do anything about it. Despite your ignorant arguments pot, crack and other drugs do go hand-in-hand on the street. Seriously Dan, your wrong on this issue and responsible for people dying! Hope you can sleep...
7
I was just about to comment that Jeff sounded a lot like Will in Seattle, and then I saw Will in Seattle's comment. Hah! Hahahaha
10
@6: Hey dumbass: if there wasn't criminilization of drugs, there'd be no need for criminal gangs to control distribution.
Look up prohibition, for FSM's sake.
Look up prohibition, for FSM's sake.
14
"Like or not the relaxed attitude towards drugs is leading to a marked increase in violence in Seattle"
CRAZY POT-FUELED RAMPAGES IN THE STREET. ANGRY NEGROS AFTER YOUR DAUGHTERS. TROLLS MAKING UP THINGS OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.
CRAZY POT-FUELED RAMPAGES IN THE STREET. ANGRY NEGROS AFTER YOUR DAUGHTERS. TROLLS MAKING UP THINGS OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.
16
Most people don't want to do crack. Or other hard drugs. So why not take the soft drug that most drug users actually use away from the drug dealers? That would cut into their profits considerably and it's money that fuels the violence.
But prohibition doesn't work. People want pot—and other drugs (I'm for legalizing 'em all)—and are going to get them and use them, legal or illegal. Pointing to the damage done by criminal networks that wouldn't exist save for prohibition is not an argument for prohibition.
Thank you for playing Slog.
But prohibition doesn't work. People want pot—and other drugs (I'm for legalizing 'em all)—and are going to get them and use them, legal or illegal. Pointing to the damage done by criminal networks that wouldn't exist save for prohibition is not an argument for prohibition.
Thank you for playing Slog.
19
Pointing to the damage done by criminal networks that wouldn't exist save for prohibition is not an argument for prohibition.
But you can easily point at the damage done by law enforcement because of prohibition. Many people's lives are being DESTROYED by pointless law enforcement -- both by law enforcement attacking and killing nonviolent, unarmed people, and by prosecutors and the prison union locking people up for the rest of their lives for victimless crimes.
I really don't think "fucking credulous hacks" goes far enough. I would throw in some words like "immoral," "evil," "oppressive," and "murderous."
KUOW is becoming KCTS - nobody under 70 is going to pay attention to them.
20
There's always one kid in the class who waves around his booger-covered finger to get a reaction. A laugh, a scowl, scolding, cheers, a trip to the principal's office - doesn't matter, as long as it gets a reaction.
Dan Savage, giggling and wringing his hands all the way to CNN, does not give a shit about what I, you, Jeff, or Barack Obama thinks about him. As long as we think about him.
Keep waving that finger in the air, Dan. Your mom would be proud.
Dan Savage, giggling and wringing his hands all the way to CNN, does not give a shit about what I, you, Jeff, or Barack Obama thinks about him. As long as we think about him.
Keep waving that finger in the air, Dan. Your mom would be proud.
21
@19 - plus, they get to seize not just your assets, but if you're staying in your mom's basement where you store the weed, her entire house even if she didn't know you ran a grow op.
22
Actually I think many Stranger writers, while not hate-filled, are mean spirited, and thus are perceived by those who disagree with it on particular issues as lacking nuance if not completely wrong.
Whether Dan Savage and Christopher Frizelle can hire a professional journalist to become the Stranger's news editor, and remake the news department into something that does not sacrifice public interest journalism upon the alter of condescension and gotcha pieces, will be a real test of the Stranger's intellectual and professional maturity.
Whether Dan Savage and Christopher Frizelle can hire a professional journalist to become the Stranger's news editor, and remake the news department into something that does not sacrifice public interest journalism upon the alter of condescension and gotcha pieces, will be a real test of the Stranger's intellectual and professional maturity.
24
@ 20,22 : "Your mom would be proud."
Even if the Stranger abandoned cheap tactics for page hits, the comments would still mostly be mean-spirited (but relevant) comments like yours, and some actually hateful useless shit like your last sentence.
Even if the Stranger abandoned cheap tactics for page hits, the comments would still mostly be mean-spirited (but relevant) comments like yours, and some actually hateful useless shit like your last sentence.
25
@24
Yeah, that comment was certainly more hateful and useless than calling a living person a Goat Sucker for two weeks straight.
And silly me for thinking a deceased relative who is constantly self-referenced as the most influential person in Dan's life is off limits when I refer to said deceased relative in the same context.
Thanks for letting me know the ground rules here at the Slog.
Yeah, that comment was certainly more hateful and useless than calling a living person a Goat Sucker for two weeks straight.
And silly me for thinking a deceased relative who is constantly self-referenced as the most influential person in Dan's life is off limits when I refer to said deceased relative in the same context.
Thanks for letting me know the ground rules here at the Slog.
27
Dan is just the Id of the gay/pro-sex/pro-marijuana/pro-density/anti-pitbull community at large. He fufills the hairtrigger/emotional/hard truths role quite well if you ask me. Just have to take what he says with some perspective.
30
Dwight: Not to mention repeats of chunks of afternoon shows every evening. For the amount of funding they have, KUOW kind of sucks. Four hours of Garrison Keillor and I have to go to KBCS for hard-hitting shows like Democracy Now and Counterspin.
31
@21
Will - the government can't keep Mom's house if Mom didn't know what was going on, and owned the house before the drug activity started, and there wasn't any drug money used to buy the house. Mom would be an "innocent owner" and has a defense to the government seizing her property.
Will - the government can't keep Mom's house if Mom didn't know what was going on, and owned the house before the drug activity started, and there wasn't any drug money used to buy the house. Mom would be an "innocent owner" and has a defense to the government seizing her property.
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