Lacey speaks on Stewart

The editor's office at the LA Weekly sent over this letter from Mike Lacey, executive editor of Village Voice Media, taking issue with my coverage (and with ex-Weeklyite Harold Meyerson) and explaining the hiring of Jill Stewart and other moves there.

Harold Meyerson’s ad-hominem attack upon David Zahniser, Alan Mittelstaedt, Jill Stewart, and New Times undermines journalism in favor of cronyism. And LA Observed's speculations about staff changes at LA Weekly while understandable are simply silly.

Before addressing the more substantive problem of Meyerson’s exit interview, let me discuss the leadership issue, specifically, Jill Stewart’s addition to the staff.

“With Stewart around you have to wonder about [Laurie] Ochoa’s authority (and how much of her survival under New Times is connected to her marriage to award-winning Weekly food writer Jonathan Gold,)” observed LA Observed.

Frankly, this is the sort of conspiratorial brilliance I’d expect from someone pushing a shopping cart loaded with all their worldly possessions....

Continued at We Get Email.