Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA Press Club won't take back Harvey Weinstein's 'Truthteller' award
Harvey Weinstein and Jay-Z speak at MTV Studios on March 8, 2017 in New York City.
(
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Spike
)
Harvey Weinstein, Don Lemon and Dan Abrams attend The Hollywood Reporter's 35 Most Powerful People In Media 2017 event on April 13, 2017 in New York City.
(
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
)
Film producer Harvey Weinstein and author Plum Sykes attend a book launch party Sykes' book on May 9, 2017 in New York City.
(
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers
)
Aziz Ansari, film producer Harvey Weinstein and VP of Original Series for Netflix Cindy Holland attend the Netflix "Master Of None" season 2 premiere screening on May 11, 2017 in New York City.
(
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Netflix
)
Harvey Weinstein and Tim Armstrong, chief executive officer of AOL Inc., attend the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 12, 2017 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
(
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: (L-R) Harvey Weinstein, Bryan Cranston and Neil Burger attend the 'The Upside' cocktail party, hosted by RBC and The Weinstein Company, at RBC House Toronto Film Festival 2017 on September 8, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for RBC)
(
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for RBC
)
The Los Angeles Press Club says it won't rescind the Truthteller Award it gave to Harvey Weinstein earlier this year, despite hate mail and a major op-ed urging them to rethink the award.
Movie mogul Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment by several women, with allegations stretching back nearly three decades. He has reportedly settled at least eight claims with different women.
The organization bestowed the inaugural award on Weinstein and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z for "Time: The Kalief Browder Story," a documentary series about an African American teenager who was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. Browder spent three years without trial, imprisoned on Rikers Island — most of it in solitary confinement.
Two years after he was released, Browder committed suicide. He was 22.
Support for LAist comes from
Diana Ljungaeus, executive director of the L.A. Press Club, says that because they didn't give the award to Weinstein for his general work or "for being a great person," board members ultimately decided not to rescind the honor.
"The project itself is a great project," Ljungaeus told KPCC. "It's a shame that this project is getting flak for Mr. Weinstein's personal behaviors. We're all on board on standing by the award."
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: (L-R) Harvey Weinstein, Don Lemon, and Dan Abrams attend The Hollywood Reporter 35 Most Powerful People In Media 2017 at The Pool on April 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
(
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
)
The Truthteller Award honors "contributions to the public discourse and cultural enlightenment of our society."
Earlier this year, New York mayor Bill De Blasio announced he plans to close Rikers, one of the largest correctional institutions in the world, and replace it with smaller prisons. Many people think the publicity around Browder's death spurred that decision.
Although rumors have swirled for years in Hollywood that Weinstein was a notorious harasser, no news organization had addressed the issue until the New York Times published an expose of Weinstein earlier this week.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 09: Film producer Harvey Weinstein and author Plum Sykes attend Book Launch Party for Plum Sykes' Party Girls Die In Pearls hosted by Brooks Brothers and Zac Posen at Brooks Brothers on May 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers)
(
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers
)
Support for LAist comes from
On Friday, the board of The Weinstein Co. announced he would take an indefinite leave from the company. The following day, attorney Lisa Bloom said she would no longer be advising him.
The debate about whether or not the L.A. Press Club should have rescinded the Truthteller Award raises a broader issue: To what extent should public and pop culture figures be held accountable for their private behavior?
Ljungaeus said board members had a "thorough discussion," conducted via email (since many of them are still in Las Vegas covering the shooting) about what to do.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 11: Co-creator, Executive Producer & Actor Aziz Ansari, film producer Harvey Weinstein and VP of Original Series for Netflix Cindy Holland attend the Netflix Master Of None S2, Premiere NY Screening 2017 on May 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Netflix)
(
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Netflix
)
Had the allegations against Weinstein been public when they were deciding who would get the award, it would have been a different matter.
The Press Club issued a statement that read, in part:
"Obviously, had we known then what the world knows now, Mr. Weinstein would not have been our honoree."
Support for LAist comes from
"Unless people stand up and say, 'This happened to me,' we're doing nothing but spreading gossip," she said. "That's not really our role."
SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 12: (L to R) Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman and co-founder of Weinstein Co., and Tim Armstrong, chief executive officer of AOL Inc., attend the second day of the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 12, 2017 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Every July, some of the world's most wealthy and powerful businesspeople from the media, finance, technology and political spheres converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive weeklong conference. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
(
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
)
But Ljungaeus believes the discussion about what to do with the award, "indicates something great — that we do not endorse people taking advantage of other people, in a way that probably has been part of the tradition of Hollywood."
The Los Angeles Press Club is planning to hold a discussion on sexual harassment some time in the next few weeks.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist