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    Home»Opinions»Political kingmakers as co-owners of The Stranger. How will that play out?
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    Political kingmakers as co-owners of The Stranger. How will that play out?

    The Daily FuseBy The Daily FuseJune 27, 2025No Comments6 Mins Read
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    Political kingmakers as co-owners of The Stranger. How will that play out?
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    An irreverent strategy to journalism hasn’t restricted the enchantment of The Stranger, Seattle’s various weekly newspaper, to its viewers.

    However I’m wondering if it’s going too far, by promoting an possession stake to certainly one of Seattle’s strongest political organizations.

    MLK Labor, a coalition of greater than 150 unions, lately agreed to spend money on Noisy Creek, mother or father firm of The Stranger and The Portland Mercury.

    The deal isn’t full but. However either side appear enthused concerning the prospect and unconcerned about how the newspaper’s credibility will probably be affected if it’s co-owned by a titan of Seattle’s political institution.

    Possibly I’m a dinosaur. Hyperpartisan media are rising as native information shops fade.

    The Stranger’s additionally not one of the best case to argue for conventional media requirements. It has lengthy been far left and echoed progressive labor’s narratives.

    However I nonetheless suppose it’s an issue when political kingmakers change into co-owners of a neighborhood newspaper. It erodes belief in information media, feeds suspicions about bias and makes it even tougher for individuals to determine what’s actually impartial, fact-driven journalism.

    Brady Walkinshaw, Noisy Creek’s majority proprietor, stated MLK Labor is certainly one of round a dozen buyers he’s working with on a financing spherical to fund the corporate’s development.

    “I’m actually thrilled to deliver on truly a very various group of supporters that need to are available and make this occur,” he stated. “It’s truly nice to me that working individuals represented by unions are going to be part of this.”

    Negotiations are underway, Katie Garrow, MLK Labor’s government secretary-treasurer, stated by way of e mail on Wednesday.

    “We’re actually excited to have a look at methods we are able to assist native journalism at a time when it’s very important for democracy,” she stated in a ready assertion.

    Walkinshaw, a former Democratic politician, has but to reveal the 20 preliminary buyers who helped him purchase The Stranger a 12 months in the past and wouldn’t disclose the potential new buyers.

    The infusion of money and new management has reinvigorated The Stranger. It resumed printing — month-to-month for now — and Walkinshaw stated Noisy Creek now employs 60 individuals, up from 38 final 12 months.

    That’s nice and competitors is required.

    Nonetheless, I’ve questioned for the reason that sale whether or not The Stranger would change into much less of an impartial newspaper and extra of a political megaphone.

    Being co-owned by MLK Labor might create that look. I’d really feel the identical if it was a bunch that lobbies on behalf of enterprise.

    Walkinshaw stated the enterprise aspect of the corporate is separate from the editorial aspect, so buyers received’t affect protection.

    “I’m actually not involved about it,” he stated, including that the $50,000 funding being thought of is a comparatively small stake.

    I might be.

    Traces between information shops and political pursuits are being blurred extra usually as conventional shops and requirements fade. Of their wake “pink slime” publications, masquerading as legacy media, have emerged as political automobiles for the left and the appropriate.

    Partisanship can be affecting perceptions of storied publications and choices by their new house owners.

    “That is extra necessary than ever, in gentle of the truth that house owners who had been in an earlier time, not very way back, not placing their thumb on the dimensions have begun to take action,” stated Tom Rosenstiel, a College of Maryland journalism professor and co-author of “The Parts of Journalism.”

    Rosenstiel stated the best-known examples are the selections to kill presidential endorsements of Kamala Harris, by The Washington Submit’s proprietor Jeff Bezos and Patrick Quickly-Shiong on the Los Angeles Occasions.

    Comparable issues have arisen with nonprofits that get most of their funding from just a few main donors, probably giving them affect corresponding to an possession stake.

    “The query, although, is why did they purchase it?” Rosenstiel stated. “Did they purchase it as a result of they need to assist impartial journalism, or did they purchase it as a result of they needed to have a car for urgent their political agenda?”

    Each, judging from MLK Labor’s decision authorizing the funding.

    It stated The Stranger and Mercury at the moment are “managed by individuals with robust progressive credentials.”

    It additionally stated it’s in MLK Labor’s curiosity “to assist make sure the continued existence and development of The Stranger as an impartial, progressive media entity that additionally retains its deal with problems with explicit significance to the labor motion.”

    In its pitch to MLK Labor, Noisy Creek stated there’s a “complete firewall between the enterprise aspect of Noisy Creek and the information aspect,” stated Joe Mizrahi, certainly one of MLK Labor’s trustees who authorised the funding. He doesn’t suppose it can affect protection.

    “Frankly, the labor council would have appreciated it if it was that means, if the funding meant extra say over the editorial decision-making,” he stated.

    Mizrahi is secretary-treasurer of UFCW 3000, a union representing grocery, retail and different staff. He’s additionally a politician, operating to retain a Seattle Public Colleges board seat to which he was appointed final 12 months.

    The Stranger interviewed him as a part of its endorsement course of and the possession stake “didn’t come up,” he stated.

    If the aim is primarily to assist impartial media, MLK Labor ought to make a donation as a substitute of turning into a co-owner.

    Newspapers throughout, together with this one, have applications to obtain donations from people and organizations that need to maintain impartial journalism.

    If papers are clear and have insurance policies to forestall donors from influencing protection, this helps their public-service mission and preserves independence. It doesn’t give supporters a seat within the board room.

    The Stranger additionally must be extra clear about its house owners.

    No less than MLK Labor revealed the deal on its web site.

    Final 12 months I used public records to discover one of many preliminary Noisy Creek buyers by way of public information: The spouse of Amazon’s high lawyer and senior vp.

    That raises questions on one other part of MLK Labor’s resolution, which stated it’s investing in The Stranger due to its independence from massive companies like Amazon.

    The passage stated:

    “Whereas, The Stranger is likely one of the most necessary sources of stories to numerous individuals within the King County space that’s not managed by or considerably influenced by conventional company pursuits in our area such because the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, and Seattle King County REALTORS …”

    That’s a Trump-grade smear of the press, larded with innuendo. None of these “company pursuits” management or considerably affect any of King County’s necessary information sources, until you depend Microsoft’s Bing.

    Arguably, the closest information supply to Amazon is now The Stranger, which must make for some fascinating possession conferences.

    Brier Dudley: is editor of The Seattle Occasions Save the Free Press Initiative. Its weekly e-newsletter: st.information/FreePressNewsletter. Attain him at bdudley@seattletimes.com



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