A decade ago, in reluctantly rejecting a guest column I had submitted (a modest proposal on how to increase per-student spending in Washington’s public schools), an editor at one of our region’s dailies lamented that, alas, too many newspaper readers lack “the satire gene.” Well, apparently some newspaper reporters lack this gene as well:
Business leaders aren’t arguing with the $15-an-hour goal. In fact, the OneSeattle website calls the current state minimum wage of $9.32 “undeniably less than it costs to support yourself.”
Yeah, that’s right: Seattle Times reporter Lynn Thompson quotes the wonderfully satirical fake OneSeattle website from a page that is so outrageous (it counts time texting on the job toward total compensation) that it’s hard to believe an informed reader wouldn’t get the joke. But she didn’t. Which has the 1Seattle.org folks crowing.
Amazing.
In other questionable reporting news, the Seattle Times taps a Von Trapp’s bartender as the voice of tipped employees opposing a $15 minimum wage, just days after printing an anti-$15 guest column from Von Trapp’s owner. Hmm.
UPDATE: Ha! I’ve once again earned my reputation as the Seattle Times’ volunteer ombudsman:
Information in this article, originally published April 19, 2014, was corrected April 21, 2014. A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed two quotes to business group OneSeattle’s website.
Do they even know how to fucking Internet?
http://www.oneseattlecoalition.org vs http://www.1seattle.org
You should call on them to issue a retraction.
Sadly, it might well be less that she lacks the satire gene than that she’s a sloppy reporter, whether it’s due to her being lazy or overworked by stupid editorial demands like posting bullshit articles or something.
Stranger publishes an anonymous employee’s perspective – HA doesn’t like it, even though HA does pretty much the same thing
http://horsesass.org/one-alleg.....peaks-out/
in this blog.
Seattle Times (above) publishes a named employee’s perspective – HA doesn’t like it.
Perhaps HA will be happier if a news organization resorts to hearsay
http://horsesass.org/introduci.....nt-1258401
reporting.
The Stranger won a 2014 Pulitzer Prize and Seattle Times didn’t, neener neener.
@3 What, exactly, are you trying to say?
If the Von Trapp person is driving a luxury car and leaving her nice Queen Anne apartment to go on vacations to Spain, she’s sure making a lot more than I do, so I don’t see why I should tip her very much.
@4: Sorry, but you’re wrong. The Stranger didn’t win a 2014 Pulitzer. Instead, arts critic Jen Graves was a finalist. Try again.