Thursday, June 14, 2007

Boycott the News Leader?

Someone left a comment today on my post "Newspaper wants citizens to stay out of political process? She suggested a boycott of the News Leader because of their Wednesday editorial, Time to clean house, in which they urge, encourage, push Emmett Hanger to get rid of all the conservative GOP leaders who worked for Scott Sayre in Tuesday's Primary.

I personally like to read the hard copy of the paper ... curl up with a cup of tea to read or carry it with me when I'm going somewhere. When we moved here eleven years ago one of the first things we did was subscribe to the local newspaper because I'm such a news junkie. I also subscribed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, my hometown newspaper.

Many conservatives have become disgusted with the MisLeader over the years and cancelled their subscriptions ... but I hung in there.

Not anymore.

Wednesday's editorial went over the top. They attacked volunteers from the community, people who had exercised their freedom to back the candidate of their choice. They attacked my neighbors and friends because when they target local GOP leadership they are also targeting those who back us. We have heard from many of them since that editorial was printed. You truly find out who your friends are when the chips are down.

I called Roger Watson, Publisher of the MisLeader, this afternoon and cancelled my subscription. If I hadn't done it my husband surely would have done so. He and his truck driver buddies have all been talking about it. Yes, there are union truck drivers out there who are Republicans; in fact, most in this area are, and they discuss politics.

What hit a nerve the most to everyone I've talked with was the "snakes" comment in the last paragraph. People who know us in the community know we're not the extreme right-wing nuts the paper has tried to make us out to be so they now believe the paper to be even more untruthful than before.

The News Leader wrote:

Betrayal is a serious matter and insubordination must be dealt with swiftly. It's time to clear the underbrush of the snakes.
Betrayal? Insubordination? Excuse me. Emmett Hanger is a public servant. He is an elected who represents me. I don't work for him. So according to the MisLeader we shouldn't challenge our elected officials in this country? Isn't that a bit like communism?

Boycott the newspaper? That's a personal decision. I will now be subscribing to the Waynesboro News-Virginian for local news. I like Bob Stuart's writing and he seems to be fair even though I don't always agree with him.

If you have comments you may contact Roger Watson, Publisher of the News Leader, at rwatson@newsleader.com or (540) 213-9107.

Comments to USA Today/Gannett, owners of the MisLeader, can be directed to Melani Zadrima at mzadrima@gannett.com or (703) 854-6725. She is with the department that handles Gannett's small locally-owned newspapers around the country.

As for me ... I will miss the newsie part of the News Leader ... but I won't miss the editorial page. Enough is enough.

Check out Not Larry Sabato's "Boycott the NewsLeader? Hell Yes!"

8 comments:

cafe de emporia said...

Glad you joined the team. We haven't been getting the Slantin' MisLeader for quite some time...and you know, I don't miss it one bit.

Perhaps it's time to say hello to the News Virginian?

Lynn R. Mitchell said...

John, I plan to subscribe to the News Virginian. Tried to call today but it was after 5:00 and their offices were closed.

It's a sad day when small-town U.S.A. newspapers, owned by large conglomerates, attack the very citizens they are there to inform.

fmiller said...

i find it funny that you call for a boycott of the news leader for criticizing free and open speech. but you yourself don't allow comments on your blog that you disagree with.

A concerned citizen said...

For Fmiller - I find your being upset with the this blog site for censoring responses to the entries posted rediculous. This is a blog site and not a newspaper that is suppose to report the news in a fair and unbias way. I know that the editorials are opinions of the editors and not news but, how come when it comes to the editorials they seem to be slanted in one direction - to the left. We have only one newspaper in Staunton, unlike DC, where I am from, which has two. We really don't have much of a choice on which newspaper we want to read if we want to get the local news. So, by boycotting the only newspaper in town and going to another one in a different town, to get the Augusta Co. news we will be sending a message to the MisLeader newspaper, who is not playing fair and balanced with their reporting or their editorials. It would be nice to have both sides represented once in a while in the editorial pages. This blog site is not the local newspaper and not everyone comes here to get their news. It is run by one lady, and she has the right to censor the responses to her posts if she chooses to do so, in order that those coming here to read the posts will not be offended or disgusted by inappropriate language or rants.

So, if you feel she is not playing fair, then do as she has done with the Staunton MisLeader, and boycott her. I am sure she will not mind losing one reader as you are not paying for her service and it will not affect her pocketbook.

Lynn R. Mitchell said...

Fmiller, you have the News Leader and all the shrill blogs "speeching" for you. This is my corner of the world and you don't need anymore space to spread your propaganda.

Lynn R. Mitchell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lynn R. Mitchell said...

Connie, you said it very well. They want this site for their propaganda as well as all the other outlets they have. I'm not going to give it to them.

I'm following in the steps of the News Leader which picks and chooses the letters to the editor they will publish.

Unknown said...

Did you see the Newsleaders response. A full page ad for subscribers. It included a $10 gift cert for Cracker Barrel.

"Boycott? When she called for a boycott, our subscription numbers went up. I guess people were responding to her call for a boycott the same way they responded to her extreme, insane attacks on Sen.Hanger" will be the reply from the Newsleader.

Strange thing that they will ignore, is you didn't call for a boycott. You just said that you were going to boycott.