This morning, I wrote the following email to LA Times editorial page editor Nick Goldberg.
Dear Nick,
On Tuesday of last week, you published “A Note to Readers” indicating that The Times had serious doubt about the veracity of my May 11, 2015 blog post and, as a result, would no longer be publishing my work. Those doubts, you wrote and told me on the phone, were based upon an audiotape of my 2001 jaywalking arrest given to you by someone at the LAPD.
As I informed you Thursday, new information has since come to light confirming my account. As I have maintained all along, I told the truth. Will Durr, the LAPD officer who ticketed me in 2001, lied when he told Internal Affairs that he did not handcuff me, that there was no angry crowd, etc.
I asked an L.A.-based company, Post Haste Digital, to analyze the LAPD-supplied audiotape. The enhanced version of the audiotape, which you can listen to here:
http://anewdomain.net/2015/08/02/ted-rall-lapd-la-times-second-enhanced-tape-reveals-all/
proves beyond a reasonable doubt that your “doubts” were, as I told you repeatedly, completely unfounded and utterly without merit. You did not allow me to defend myself to the members of the editorial board, or to allow them to ask me questions. You treated me as though I was guilty until proven innocent, as though the burden of proof was upon me to prove that my story was true, rather than for the police to prove that my version was not. Your logic and reasoning were bizarre and incomprehensible, as when you questioned why I did not angrily protest the arrest while I was in cuffs — although I clearly stated that I had been polite and compliant in my blog and in my complaint to Internal Affairs. You believed the LAPD narrative based on a tape that appeared to be mostly noise.
You do not seem to have investigated the provenance of the tape, though it was provided by the LAPD, which has a long history of institutional violence, corruption and law-breaking. Despite the LAPD’s poor reputation for truth-telling, you did not take the basic step of having it independently analyzed for authenticity, or to see if additional data could be found on it. It fell to me, after your editorial smear, to do what you should have done yourself, with your far greater resources than I, a freelance cartoonist earning $200 per cartoon plus $100 per blog.
As a result of your poor judgement, I have been defamed in the pages of a major American newspaper and on hundreds of websites on the Internet. You have deprived me and my family of an important source of income and a prominent position in the world of journalism. You have tarnished my reputation in a way that I will never be able to fully repair.
What you have done to me is shameful. The chilling effect you have had on American journalism, sending the message that a major newspaper will fire a journalist at the request of the police, without solid proof, and to attempt to destroy his reputation, is incalculable.
In light of this new information, Nick, I hereby request that you retain, and not destroy or modify, all communications, records and information currently in your possession and control pertaining to me and my work, and that you direct all employees of The Los Angeles Times to do the same.
In light of the new information on the audiotape, I further request that you issue a full retraction of greater or equal prominence, of your July 27 “Note to Readers.” I request that you tag the original Note to indicate that it is incorrect.
In light of the new information, I request that you issue a formal apology in the pages of the Times, including your description of how you came into possession of the tape, who gave it to you or the Times, explain why you didn’t bother to check the tape, and that you ask an ombudsman or independent journalistic investigator to look into this fiasco.
In light of the new information, I request that you restore my cartoons and blog to the pages of the Los Angeles Times.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Ted Rall
12 Comments.
I do wish you luck, Ted. But at the same time, I can’t see any good coming of this. (other than, “Any publicity is good publicity”)
If they take you back on, you’ll always have these memories & so will they. I’ve been in a roughly similar position, let go wrongfully, bitched & got my job back – but neither myself or my employers were comfortable with the relationship from then on. I eventually left under my own power.
OTOH, if we do see more Rall Originals in the LAT, I’ll be going over them with a magnifying glass looking for some subtle background sniping at your employers.
CrazyH,
In the journalism world, it’s called a pile on. The LA Times did something similar to Gary Webb.
Ted now has two choices: he can continue to push this until he wins, or he can just close up his website right now because this is the journalism version of being accused of child molestation. You can’t just win a “technical” victory based on a loophole. You have to have someone admit, in open court, that the whole thing was a set up. And someone else’s head has to go in the noose.
Oh, sure, and of course he’s a fighter rather than a walk-awayer. (that’s a good thing)
I’m just worried that it’ll be a Pyrrhic victory.
ah, but that’s the beauty of the new media new normal.
at this point I somehow doubt that a cartoonist would meet the boss in the corridor on the way between their desk and the coffee machine 😉
Ted,
Don’t forget to cc: it to the Associated Press, the LATimes reader representative, the CJR, FAIR, etc.
I wish you luck — but the aggressive and confrontational tone lead me to believe that your email will have a negative effect and thus hinder your objective. (Just my opinion.)
I have to say looking at the comments, if you have supporters like these, who needs enemies? Your letter is honest. Good luck. I’ve listened to the evidence. You have been vindicated by fact and reason. If that is not accepted, then the corruption is at work and you are not to blame.
To those who might find it of interest:
gofundme.com/9w3cezxg
Excellent. Now is the time to put your money where your mouth is all you noisy Rall fans.
I received notification of your donation, and tried to send you an email “Thank You” via GoFundMe — but I got lost.
Let me use this venue to express my gratitude (in case I am unable to do so at that site).
Thank you!
Thank you for setting it up. I hope it helps – Ted’s one of the few worthwhile pundits left.
Help me spread the word.
I’ve posted the link on Facebook, but I have a limited audience there (very selective). And it’s the only social media with which I engage.