Gawker
After Tom Friedman blasted GM as a "corporate 'crack dealer'" and accused the company of illegally "buying votes in Congress" in a biting 800-word column in the NY Times, Steve Harris, Vice President of Communications at GM, attempted to submit a letter to the editor responding to the piece. GM representative Brian Akre chronicles the difficulty in getting the letter published: "You'd also think that the newspaper's editing of letters would be minimal -- to fix grammar, remove any profane language, that sort of thing. Not so." The Letters page refused the original 490-word letter from GM, grudgingly raising their word limit from 175 to 200 words (despite just having published a 304-word letter from Senators Clinton and Schumer).
The email exchange between Akre, Editorial Page Assistant Editor Tom Feyer and Editorial page assistant to the editor Mary Drohan is priceless, revealing the protracted negotiations of publishing a letter (the above-referenced delicate dance) and provides an answer to the following question: "Is the word "Rubbish" appropriate for the New York Times Letters page?" Not so.
Tues., June 6, 6:32p.m.
To: Mary Drohan
From: Brian Akre
Mary,
I talked to Steve and he doesn't like the change in "rubbish" to "we beg to differ." Please restore as I've edited it below and we'll be fine with it. You can call me on my cell if you need to reach me. I'm in Washington this evening.
Thank you.
Brian Akre
*****
Wednesday, June 7, 10:55 a.m.
To: Brian Akre
From: Mary Drohan
Instead of "rubbish," how about "Not so?"
*****
Wednesday, June 7, 11:09 a.m.
To: Mary Drohan
From: Brian Akre
Mary,
With all due respect, we're a bit perplexed as to why the Times has a problem with "rubbish." Mr. Friedman defamed our company and its reputation. Even he has acknowledged in subsequent interviews that he used unusually strong words "to get their attention." Are we not entitled to have the strong reaction that he sought?? He can say that GM is the "most dangerous company in the world" and we cannot opine that that is "rubbish?" Come on!
Brian
*****
Wed., June 7, 12:45 p.m.
To: Brian Akre
From: Mary Drohan
Sorry, it's not the tone we use in Letters.
*****
