“Far Out Magazine is dedicated to the preservation of the strictest ethical codes and transparent journalistic principles.... We believe our first priority is to maintain the bond of trust that we have built with our readers.”
Case in point: Lee Thomas’ Far Out Magazine.
Far Out recently published an article containing false and downright disgusting slurs on a world religion: Scientology. Lee Thomas, moreover, knew his characterizations were false and uncalled for because, several years earlier, he had been called out by the religion’s anti-discrimination league for doing just that—and knocked it off, apparently in keeping with “the preservation of the strictest ethical codes and transparent journalistic principles.”
This latest escapade is, for that reason, doubly egregious.
On seeing the malicious article, STAND League once again reached out to Thomas.
After all, the “feedback” section of his editorial policy does emphasize that “one of the major components of any publication’s development is the constant interaction with the readership. Far Out encourages readers to reach out with any comments on how we can improve as well as any potential complaints or relevant suggestions.”
Lee Thomas needs to take a cold, hard look at his rag’s mission statement.
But when STAND League politely corrected Lee via social media, urging him to abide by the rudimentary guidelines of journalistic integrity (see mission statement above), his response was to block all further contact.
So much for “interaction with the readership.”
Just how far away are Far Out’s Olympus-high standards from its actual sewer-bound reality?
Pretty “Far Out.”
A closer look: “We exercise our freedom of expression to highlight stories of interest to our readership while also avoiding the infliction of unjustified harm.”
Knowing and naked bigotry masquerading as journalism is the antithesis of “avoiding the infliction of unjustified harm.”
Attempting to shut down a religion and its members from airing the facts is the polar opposite of promoting “freedom of expression.”
Rather, it’s stifling an entire community’s freedom in favor of one’s own message of hate.
Lee Thomas needs to take a cold, hard look at his rag’s mission statement and either change his ways and abide by its principles or scrap it and rewrite it more in accordance with what Far Out really is: “Far Out Magazine is dedicated to the importance of profitable clicks in the contemporary sphere, which is why we believe our first priority is to gorge our readers with a platform that fairly sops with calumny and hate.
“Any resemblance between Far Out and actual journalism is purely coincidental and unintended. Please reach out if you see ANY truth, objectivity or accuracy in our reporting.”
