We'll tell you how to vote
In this week's Gray News, Editor Ray Clark begins his editorial by stating: "This newspaper never tells anybody how to vote, and we're not about to start now."
This is not true.
Biasbuster has several issues with the untruthfulness of Clark's editorial. As we have learned in prior posts, the point of an editorial is to offer opinion on issues of the day that are concurrent with or subsequent to the newspaper's having presented the facts about the issue in a news report.
The problem is, the Gray News has not presented one fact or one article about TABOR. But Clark is telling you, in his way, that TABOR sucks. Without having offered readers a chance to learn the facts about the issue, Clark's negative editorial toward TABOR means he is doing exactly what he says he's not: telling you how to vote.
The second issue I have with his claim that he is really, really not telling you how to vote is that the paper is politically active and therefore biased. For example, the editor was president of the Gray Public Library Association, and used his newspaper to cloud the facts around the Library expansion and hide the fact that his group was planning to present a hugely costly bond. They spent newspaper ink and newspaper space telling you what to think about the GPLA while politically participating in the GPLA and trying to influence the council process and decision about it.
Also, the newspaper fomented and participated in the recent recall attempt of Andy Upham. Their newspaper Board members, and their minutes taker Nathan Tsukroff, circulated political petitions to get rid of the vice-chair. All the while the editor was claiming in his editorial that he wasn't telling you how to vote.
He is not being truthful with himself, with the readers, or with his profession.
Of course he is telling you how to vote. I just wish he'd be honest about it.
This is not true.
Biasbuster has several issues with the untruthfulness of Clark's editorial. As we have learned in prior posts, the point of an editorial is to offer opinion on issues of the day that are concurrent with or subsequent to the newspaper's having presented the facts about the issue in a news report.
The problem is, the Gray News has not presented one fact or one article about TABOR. But Clark is telling you, in his way, that TABOR sucks. Without having offered readers a chance to learn the facts about the issue, Clark's negative editorial toward TABOR means he is doing exactly what he says he's not: telling you how to vote.
The second issue I have with his claim that he is really, really not telling you how to vote is that the paper is politically active and therefore biased. For example, the editor was president of the Gray Public Library Association, and used his newspaper to cloud the facts around the Library expansion and hide the fact that his group was planning to present a hugely costly bond. They spent newspaper ink and newspaper space telling you what to think about the GPLA while politically participating in the GPLA and trying to influence the council process and decision about it.
Also, the newspaper fomented and participated in the recent recall attempt of Andy Upham. Their newspaper Board members, and their minutes taker Nathan Tsukroff, circulated political petitions to get rid of the vice-chair. All the while the editor was claiming in his editorial that he wasn't telling you how to vote.
He is not being truthful with himself, with the readers, or with his profession.
Of course he is telling you how to vote. I just wish he'd be honest about it.
posted by Gray Maine at
11:08 PM
7 Comments:
I'm probably going to vote for TABOR. If only because certain people are against it. Sad but true. How else to cut administrative costs at school? How else to force local and state government to stick to a budget? I can't afford more taxes and with the war going on, we're putting our kids in a terrible debt - We have to pay up sometime and we might as well tighten the belts now. It won't last anyway, the politicians will work overtime overturning it with legislation so they can get their hands back in the cookie jar. But, the experience will remind them that the people still have a voice.
By
Anonymous, at 8:48 PM
Why don't they see that if the Gray News was on their side there would have been real articles written on the subject, quoting real people, citing real instances.
Instead they applaud him for an opinion.
Well, an opinion doesn't sway a vote. but solid information does!
By
Anonymous, at 7:40 AM
I like TABOR because it does not cut budgets, it is all about spending limits. Sounds prudent to me. Here's their website: www.taxpayerbillofrights.com
and another website: www.mainepolicy.org/
By
Gray Maine, at 11:34 AM
Have you noticed it's the PEOPLE who want Tax Payer Bill of Rights and the Gov't and related organizations who SPEND the money that don't {Maine Municipal Association, Portland what town increases their budget every year more than them, Baldaci and the spend but don't pay our bills governor}.
By
Anonymous, at 6:55 AM
Hey Biasbuster, do you know what's up with Debbie's blog, graymaine.blogspot.com? Is it gone forever (hopefully), or is this just a temporary thing?
Thanks!
By
Anonymous, at 4:05 PM
it is gone forever like graydissidents. Thank goodness!!
By
Gray Maine, at 4:55 PM
Prais God for that!
By
Anonymous, at 10:56 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home