Petrelis Files

David Remnick
Editor
The New Yorker Magazine

Dear Mr. Remnick:

In my opinion, the American press lacks full transparency regarding political donations from editorial staff and their political advocacy work.

As you know, I've brought attention to the fact that one of your senior editors, Hendrik Hertzberg, has donated $900 to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, which has not been disclosed in the pages of the New Yorker.

But I write to you today about Hertzberg serving on the board of directors of the Center for Voting and Democracy. This nonprofit organization supports instant runoff voting and other methods of increasing voter participation in the electoral process, ideals I fully endorse. [1]

Hertzberg has written favorable things about instant runoff voting in the New Yorker, but has failed to disclose his status as a board member of the Center for Voting and Democracy.

In the Nov. 24, 2003, edition of the New Yorker, Hertzberg's column about the California gubernatorial recall election, he wrote:

"Here’s a better way [to run elections]: choose the replacement not by plurality but by instant runoff voting. Under I.R.V., a voter lists as many candidates as he or she wishes in order of preference. In the counting, the electoral computer drops the least popular candidates, one by one, and instantly recounts the votes for the candidates who remain until one of them accumulates an outright majority." [2]

Further back in time, in the March 25, 2002, issue, Hertzberg said:

"If the instant-runoff system begins to take hold, the impact on America's political culture could be profound. It would encourage civility, discourage fratricidal negative campaigning, prevent the election of candidates strongly opposed by majorities, and broaden the range of candidates while eliminating the third-party spoiler phenomenon." [3]

In both columns, disclosure from Hertzberg was missing.

So my question to you is, why has the New Yorker thus far opted to not inform readers of Hertzberg's involvement with the Center for Voting and Democracy and its worthwhile agenda?

A prompt reply is requested.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA
Ph: 415-621-6267

Sources:
1. Center for Voting and Democracy
2. New Yorker, Nov. 24, 2003
3. New Yorker, March 25, 2003