SEATTLE (KOMO) — KOMO News aired a 90-minute documentary Saturday evening examining the decay, chaos and business closures that have resulted from the drug culture that lives on in Seattle.
KOMO News anchor/reporter Eric Johnson presented “The Fight for the Soul of Seattle,” a follow-up to 2019’s “Seattle is Dying,” which debuted in March 2019. The original program has been viewed more than 10 million times across multiple platforms and was the recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Regional Award for documentary as well as a Northwest NATAS Emmy Award for Documentary.
The new program will also re-air on Jan. 2, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. It can also be viewed on the KOMO-TV YouTube page by clicking here.
During the documentary, KOMO News and Johnson examine the role of the Seattle City Council in allowing the situation to reach what many experts consider epidemic levels under the guise of a compassionate approach to people who suffer from substance addiction and who commit crimes to feed their habit.
“The ‘Fight for the Soul of Seattle’ is an essay, really,” Johnson said. “It’s a stark, frank look at a philosophy that has taken hold in Seattle, and that I believe is destroying not only our city, but countless lives that are left to languish in misery all around us. The philosophy is this: Seattle no longer feels the need to stop anyone from doing anything. My hope is that the show doesn’t become a political football. A blame game. An us-versus-them talking point that results in nothing but division.”
“Fight for the Soul of Seattle” documents the heartbreaking condition of people on the streets, and the crushing decisions Seattle entrepreneurs are forced to contemplate as their life savings and dreams are destroyed by theft, vandalism and a dwindling customer base. This documentary also explores potential bold solutions to treat those living on the streets and pair them with agencies and assistance that can provide a clear path away from the endless circle of addiction and crime.
