Real Psychics
Huan Hsu's article — which won't see the light of day until tomorrow (4/11 update: it's now tomorrow, here's the light of day) — about internal policies at the popular homeless newspaper Real Change caused that publication's executive director, Tim Harris, to launch into a singularly bizarre pre-emptive diatribe on his blog last week, purporting to know the arc of Hsu's imminent "expose'"and taking a dig at his East Coast transplant status in the process (it's worth noting that Harris moved here from Boston in the early 90's). Thanks to Harris, letters about the impending story have already begun trickling in via e-mail. But one letter, from a self-avowed "grandmother from Ballard," sticks out for its sheer presumptive idiocy (and we're sure she meant to say "integrity" instead of "intensity," but anyway). Remember, Hsu's article has yet to run. Without further ado, here's our letter of the week — if not the century (all sic):
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 6:00 PM
To: sw letters
Subject: Grandmother from Ballard says you suck
Dear Weekly, I've read you for years and the article on dissing Real Change is the worst reporting ever. Whats the matter you afraid of the better competition?
Not only do you make a dumb statement about some of the papers vendors aren't homeless this second. You cast a greater cloud over your journalistic intensity. Please drop off the the Seattle view NOW. Sincerely, A Grandmother from Ballard who knows better than to read you again.
42 comment(s)
Brian Barr says:
Ha! So good...so good!
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 11:28AM
Reporterward says:
I would wager it\'s because your letter to the editor writer read Geov Parrish\'s piece on Horsesass.org titled \"Seattle Weekly - What the Fuck?\"
http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2769
For some reason folks over there just don\'t like you guys.
So Mike, apparently you are not only the most hated man in Seattle journalism but you get your kicks stealing pork and beans from homeless newspaper vendors. At least that\'s what the main thrust of the article seemed to me.
Don\'t be too upset though. Folks at Sound Politics like the Seattle Weekly just fine. Well, maybe 20 percent of the contributors at least...
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 2:47PM
Seely says:
Don: Again, the story has YET TO RUN. there are a lot of hyperbolic (and false) assumptions floating around regarding Huan\'s story that are completely baseless. Read the story (when it comes out) and what I think you\'ll find is that it\'s quite fair.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 2:53PM
Reporterward says:
Mike,
I\'m on your side here man with this particular issue. Just saying that there\'s folks in this town who don\'t like \"what the Seattle Weekly has become\" no matter what.
Literally, Huan could put together a lovely, well-written, fair, accurate, prize winning story which brings tears to the eyes of hardened criminals and cures leprosy and genital herpes on contact.
But because the new incarnation of The Weekly is owned by an EVIL corporation certain people will never like it and will never give you guys a fair shake.
I\'ll read the article manana or Thursday. Will even pick up a hard copy so your advertisers will be happy. Then I\'ll give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. But I\'m a nice guy who abides by journalistic standards and objectivity.
Don\'t expect the same treatment from your numerous critics in this town.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 3:05PM
Seely says:
Can\'t find much fault in that analysis, Mr. Ward.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 3:19PM
Tim Harris says:
Wow. My new blog was just on the edge of breaking the million rating barrier on Technocrati, and hopefully this\'ll boost me over the top.
Thanks Mike.
I\'m not sure I\'d describe my posting on the Weekly story as a \"bizarre diatribe\" (although my blog certainly has those too), but it was \"preemptive.\"
I\'m sure the story will be fair. You guys, from everything I\'ve heard, are a real class outfit.
And thanks to the \"Grandmother in Ballard.\" I know who you are, and I love you, you sexy thing.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 3:22PM
Seely says:
Sarcasm noted, Mr. Harris. Glad to return the favor of dramatically increasing interest in this story at least tenfold.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 3:39PM
seels says:
Real Change\'s Tim Harris risks becoming Small Change. He\'s not OK. Lucky that the people who peddle his diatribe are more mentally balanced.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 4:05PM
Mary W says:
Yikes.
There are a number of sexy grandmothers in Ballard. Just don\'t confuse the rest of us with this one.
The very sexiest among us know that the Seattle Weekly is the true, original weekly paper here in Seattle. That other paper is just a shoddy, sensationalist imatation of the real thing. Check the library archives and see for yourself. The Weekly has heritage, class and style, striving (hopefully) to stand out, rather than fit in.
Corporate ownership is a sad, sad reality; yet despite the owners, the Weekly staff holds its own and remains true to the quality and excellence in reporting that it has always had. Award winning staff journalists abound here and it speaks volumes about the Weekly\'s standards and integrity that they retain the cream of the crop.
Corporate owners or not, personally, I thank the goddesses that the Weekly is still alive and well! It is one of the few Seattle traditions that still remain.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 4:14PM
Tim Harris says:
Jeez, Seely. You got your mom posting here now?
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 4:53PM
Seely says:
No.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 5:54PM
Sean says:
Tim - most people don\'t react this defensively unless they have something to hide.
Mike - I want to like the Weekly, and based on what I\'ve read so far this year, I do. Seattle definitely needs more and better journalism. It doesn\'t, however, need any more assholes. Hopefully this article falls into the former category.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 10 2007 @ 10:48PM
Seely says:
At long last, y\'all can finally fairly assess whether Ballard Granny\'s psychic powers were in any way accurate. Here\'s Huan\'s story:
http://seattleweekly.com/2007-04-11/news/not-all-the-pushers-of-seattle-s-homeless-paper-are-homeless.php
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 11 2007 @ 10:10AM
J.R. says:
A good, well-balanced article. \"Saint Tim\" Harris can quit crying now.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 11 2007 @ 1:13PM
Sean says:
Interesting and informative article. Nice job, Huan.
Tim - your organization came out looking just fine. Like everyone else, I had assumed the vendors were all homeless, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that some are paying rent based on their earnings. That\'s a sign of success, in my opinion. Maybe I\'ll actually start buying those papers now. If anything, you should be thanking the SW.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 11 2007 @ 1:45PM
Tim Harris says:
Saint Tim? Apparently you haven\'t read my blog.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 11 2007 @ 7:02PM
Sky Bluesky says:
I stopped taking your paper seriously right around the time you published that fake story about Greg Nickels\' smooth jazz hideaway in West Seattle. I used to read compelling investigative reporting in the Weekly. Haven\'t seen that in a while.
There\'s a reason why Knute and Geov and Chuck so many of your staff jumped ship, and it\' s not because of the coffee in the break room. And now you decide that you\'ll focus your investigative wrath on people who used to be homeless? Because - gasp - some of them aren\'t still sleeping on the streets? Horrors. How unbecoming of us to be helping poor people who aren\'t quite poor enough.
Point 1: Are they turning down vendors so that the people with apartments can have the turf? I didn\'t read anything in your article about a waiting list. So no one\'s being denied a place for these people you seem to think are undeserving.
Point 2: No one\'s making it rich off selling Real Change. Having an apartment is not the same as living high on the hog, and if the guy\'s selling 2000 papers a month, he\'s working hard. He\'s certainly not taking advantage of the Real Change vendor system, not bending any rules, or, as mentioned above, denying a spot to someone else.
Point 3: The article derisively reprinting the Real Change claim that the vendors are \"the poor and homeless of Seattle.\" There is no point in the article to disprove that claim.
Point 4: Surely there\'s more scandal happening in Seattle than the vendors of a homeless newspaper not being as poor and deprived as you would like. Get to some real stories, and quit trying to drum up controversy for the sake of controversy.
Posted On: Thursday, Apr. 12 2007 @ 9:32AM
Julian Wheeler says:
Dear Seattle Weekly,
First, congrats to Huan Hsu on choosing Seattle to be your new home.
I read your article about Real Change with some interest. Real Change - and it\'s vendor Edward McClain - has been a part of my neighborhood for many years. And by now, saying hi to Ed and talking with him is uplifting and one of the highlights of my day. I consider him a local institution. And my neighbors agree. Ed and Real Change set a positive example that helps channel the energy of the poor into a constructive outlet, rather than merely asking for spare change.
Of course, I expect Seattle Weekly largely agrees, too. Reading your article entiteld \"Best Grassroots Media Outlet\" on August 3, 2005, Seattle Weekly gave a boost to Real Change with positive exposure.
As for the question \"does it matter?\" -- I don\'t dispute your findings but it was my impression that Seattle Weekly (then or now in its currently staffed incarnation) didn\'t consider it an issue. In 2005, Philip Dawdy said \"Though it\'s not just a homeless paper anymore, its mission of promoting social justice and its advocacy for the homeless remains unchanged.\" So I expected that everyone knew, based on your paper\'s praise, that not every Real Change vendor (a bit more dignified than \"peddler\") is homeless.
I guess the answer to your title question would be \"No.\"
Like some prior bloggers have said, don\'t take it personally. In fact, Huan Hsu, feel free to contact me the next time you\'re in the U. District and we can chat over coffee. I\'d like to introduce you to my neighbors, including my favorite local coffee shop on NE 52nd and Brooklyn Ave. Like all big cities, you\'ll find Seattle is just a collection of small towns crammed together, and we\'re still a tad friendly.
Take care. -jw.
Posted On: Thursday, Apr. 12 2007 @ 5:50PM
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