In response to ‘Why endorsements don’t count’
Dear Editor,
It is sad that the legacy of LGBT journalism is so blithely dismissed in your recent editorial (San Diego LGBT Weekly issue 131 10/10/13) on political endorsements. While it is true that more information is available to voters than ever before, this is in fact the problem, and the reason for these endorsements. As the publisher of a community publication, the LGBT community relies on you and other resources to help them parse reams of information and to balance raw information with first-hand experience interacting with those seeking elective office.
You are the professional Mr. Corbin.
It is not enough to simply splash your invite to the White House Christmas party across the cover of your publication and titillate our community with your access to the corridors of power. As one who “stands guard against the guards themselves”, are you to be a mute?
It is also true that much of the language of endorsement is boiler-plate, but you are confusing semantics with content. If Donna Frye uses the same words as Doug Manchester to endorse, that does not change or diminish the meaning of her endorsement. If Donna makes a bad choice, then that ultimately will diminish the value of her advice with those who look to her. If your paper and you yourself back someone like Bob Filner for mayor and he later turns out to be an extremely flawed individual, of course you will see the stock of your opinion fall. Even with all of your access and experience, you can get it wrong.
But you don’t get to leave the kitchen just because the fire gets a bit warm. It takes a certain courage to attach your name to someone’s campaign, and it seems pretty clear, that you are choosing the easier path of avoiding an endorsement of either Nathan Fletcher or David Alvarez for San Diego mayor.
There are many fine people who have stood in the big shoes of publisher/editor of San Diego’s LGBT press – Christine Kehoe, Carla Coshow, Tom Ellerbrock and Tony Zampalla to name a few. They all had the courage to place their assessment in the public square and take whatever judgments the community would render. It would appear that you may be standing in shoes that are a bit large for you Mr. Corbin.
TIMOTHY P. HOLMBERG
San Diego
THE PUBLISHER’S RESPONSE:
Our readers are not lemmings; they do not expect San Diego LGBT Weekly to guide their voting behavior. The responsibility of a publication is to inform their readers of the positions that candidates take with respect to issues that are important to them.
Our readers become informed by reading the news, commentary and opinion pieces within LGBT Weekly. Then they are able to make their own decisions about the candidates they will support. That’s what the media should do: inform, not attempt to make the decision for their readers or viewers.
In the new world of media, true journalists are a dying breed. Your view that it is my responsibility to tell the LGBT community how to vote is so off base, there is not enough space to begin to effectively address how misguided you are.
My assessment of many issues is always in the public square. I just don’t believe in endorsements. As I stated in my editorial, many endorsed Filner. I did not. I simply informed our readers about issues concerning mayoral candidates that may be of concern to the LGBT community. I plan to do the same this election cycle.
Mr. Holmberg, I don’t think that I cannot fill the shoes of those who have come before me. My record advocating for LGBT people nationally and locally speaks for itself. In terms of sartorial imagery, you just put your foot and shoe in your mouth.
STAMPP CORBIN
PUBLISHER
San Diego LGBT Weekly
