Thursday, June 14, 2007

Newspaper wants conservative citizens to stay out of political process?

The Sayre for Senate campaign was different than any campaign I've ever worked. It was local and against a Republican incumbent ... and so it literally fell upon all of us to shoulder the load. The easy path as Republican leadership would have been to fall in line with the incumbent ... pound a few signs and it would pretty much have been over. Voila! Easy campaign season.

But I've never taken the easy route just because it's the easy route. I follow my principles and the beliefs I have in government. That's why I got involved in politics in the first place ... why complain if not willing to work for change?

What puzzles me, however, is the piling-on of the local USA Today/Gannett-owned newspaper. Their editorial after the election was over the top, a sad representation of an information conduit that should be unbiased in its reporting but, instead, uses its power in a less-than-professional way.

Instead of recognizing and applauding that citizens were willing to participate in the democratic process, they mocked and called names of local volunteers who exercised their freedom and right to back a candidate of their choice.

Who did they mock? Unpaid volunteers from the community who represented a cross-section of the citizens living in the 24th District ... union truck drivers, insurance salesmen, retail employees, housewives, teachers, real estate marketers, pastors, high school and college students, and many others.

Volunteers were treated by the media in the same manner the media treats elected public servants. The difference this time was they attacked the volunteers and lined up with the public servants, even the electeds they had scorned and attacked on their pages in the past, most recently George Allen in last fall's election.

This does a disservice to citizens who may want to become involved. The newspaper can disagree with the position or the candidate ... but to go after those citizen volunteers who back a candidate the newspaper does not agree with in such a vicious manner deters folks in the community from wanting to participate in the political process.

3 comments:

A concerned citizen said...

What do you expect from the MisLeader? They are the same ones who ran an editorial saying that State Employees don't deserve a payraise because we get so many holidays and benefits. As a State Employee, I was not amused by their rantings. Most of the State Employees that I work with were very angry about their editorial and a lot of them dropped their subscriptions. Believe me, I have been a State Employee for 8 years and I have not come close to making what I was making in the private sector years ago in DC. What we need to do as consumers is boycot that newspaper and get our news in another manner. You won't miss anything, believe me. I have already done that and I get my news from all difference sources. I pull up the local newspapers on line or the local news from Channel 3, Channel 29 and others online. Why pay for a newspaper when it is filled with misprints, misrepresentations and bias editorials? They are hurting themselves by attacking those who helped Sayre as well as State Employees who want and need more money. We are the common folk and we are the ones who put money in their pockets and keep them going. But, not anymore. I have a voice, I voted on Tuesday for Sayre and I am boycotting the Daily News Leader or as my husband calls them - the MisLeader. I don't feel they do a very good job on delivering the news and there is no such thing as a proof reader anymore at the newspaper and it shows with all their typos and misprints. So, if we all feel the same way, we can say goodbye to the newspaper and hopefully it will hit them in the pocket book where it will hurt the most. They are not for truth in reporting and they are not fair and balanced as Fox Cable News would say. And, that is what I am looking for.

Sayre may not have won but, our voices were heard. The Republicans were not a push over for Hanger, he had to fight for every vote. One person here at work said she was going to voite for him because he had assured her, that as a State Employee, he would do more for our agency and help us. She must believe in the Easter Bunny too! How long has he held that office? And, exactly what is it he has done for us as State Employees? I really had hopes that Sayre would win just to send a message to those who hold those positions that we are not happy with the status quo. He had to spend one million dollars compared to Sayre spending $250,000 as reported in a news story I read, to win the seat and he had to fight for the votes. It may not have been a horse race down to the wire but, it wasn't just handed to him either. I truly believe the message got out and hopefully he will think twice about voting for another tax increase on the citizens he represents.

Lynn R. Mitchell said...

Connie, I cancelled my subscription today with the News Leader because that editorial was the last straw. I've taken the paper ever since we moved here 11 years ago but no more. I called Roger Watson, Publisher, and cancelled, and I wrote a post about it.

Thanks for your support. You are one of many we've heard from who are incensed about the editorial.

I've heard from two who agreed with it. Both were democrats so 'nuff said.

A concerned citizen said...

SWAC Girl, thank you for really taking a stand. That is the only way we have to show that we can make a difference. If we show our discuss with their reporting and editorials by not supporting their newspaper, instead of just gripping about the articles, then maybe we will get their attention. And, maybe in the process we can stir the pot so to speak and show the elected officials we will be heard and will not sit back and keep our mouths shut. We will speak out, whether it be with our voices or with our pocketbooks. We are mad as hell and we don't have to put up with elected officials thinking they are God and cannot be replaced any longer. The elected officials had better wake up and smell the coffee, we the public put them in office, we can take them out.