Seeing red over yellow.

• Position: Letters - Letter to the Editor

Seth Mnookin's review of my book Coloring the News ("Yellow Journalism," January/February 2002) is filled with mistakes and misrepresentations. He writes that "McGowan acknowledges that the Free Press was willing to publish his book; it was the author who balked" before seeking a new publisher, Encounter Books. Completely untrue. I never acknowledged in the least that the Free Press was willing to publish my book because they were in fact not willing to do so, for reasons which were entirely political and in no way connected to the manuscript's quality. My comment, which he quotes, about the Free Press not supporting the book had I stayed, was entirely hypothetical, and wrenched completely out of context.

Shortly before I delivered my manuscript, in November 1998, the Free Press had a change in editorial director who initiated a substantial shift in editorial vision. I gave the Free Press exactly the book they had contracted for, but they no longer wanted it. Two different literary agents, a publishing industry consultant and a prominent Manhattan literary attorney reviewed my situation. Although the Free Press was being legally coy in their handling of my book, these advisors concluded that if I wanted Coloring the News to see daylight I should take it elsewhere. I did this, reluctantly. Why would I want to leave an established house like the Free Press for a then-fledgling, Encounter, and to do so still owed the second half of my advance?

I urged Mnookin to contact former Free Press editorial director Adam Bellow, who clearly believes Coloring the News was purged for "ideological" reasons. Instead Mnookin relied on the sole opinion of the former second-string editor, Mitch Horowitz, who said it was a "complete fabrication" that the Free Press had backed out. Mnookin makes no mention that Horowitz had left the Free Press months before I delivered, and had absolutely no awareness of what had transpired in the back and forth between me and the new regime.

Mnookin also writes that "McGowan seems to have done little research since the mid-90s, when he initially signed on to write his book." He adds: "A humorous...