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You can add newpapers too!
Here’s another example of why the print media is going the way of the Dodo Bird and the Saber Tooth Tiger. This is no slight on Mr. Bates over at the Batesline blog (even though he still ignores us – even after we bought an ad on his blog in ‘07!) but for the Tulsa World to go through all the time, expense and effort to sue a blog for libel that gets an average of 750 hits – when your readership is in the thousands – sure sounds crazy to us!
With the newspaper industry bleeding money like a stuffed pig, maybe Mr. Lorton should consider saving a little of that money to send to W.A.D. Edmondson’s gubernatorial campaign. It’s almost that time to pony up again.
Congratulations Mr. Bates, these idiots have just made you famous!
Related:
Batesline: Web reactions to Tulsa World lawsuit
The Lost Ogle: More proof OPUBCO is struggling: $20 Obama T-Shirts
Is the Tulsa World beating a dead horse?
Our second favorite Oklahoma newspaper the Tulsa World – at least they didn’t threaten to sue us like The Oklahoman – continues to show their biases against Republicans as this OKPNS post from last year clearly demonstrates:
“World publishing Chairman Richard E. Lorton donated $2,000 to the Edmondson re-election effort last year. Coincidentally, Edmondson also won the World’s endorsement.” Read more…
Today, they felt it warranted to do another, almost identical story from the preceding day, (modified twice) of the politically motivated reopening of Rep. Randy’s Terrill’s bankruptcy case. And as in the first story, you have to read halfway through the story before you come to this one important sentence:
“Terrill’s purchase of the tickets with campaign money apparently does not violate state ethics laws.”
Sad. To borrow a couple of words from our friend Sen. Harry “Turn” Coats “stolen” emails press conference: “It’s sad that a few fanatical individuals” – who have the responsibility to be fair and balanced – can’t keep their obvious biases out of reporting the news.
Related:
The Lost Ogle: Apparently racists like OU football, too
Gene Stipe: ‘Oklahoma’s Man of Constant Sorrow‘ may eventually have more convictions under his belt than Billy The Kid, Jesse James, and the Dalton Gang. OK, a slight exaggeration…but he does prove to be just as slippery as any of these original Oklahoma outlaws!
Related: KTOK on Stipe and the Feds
We presented a piece a couple of weeks ago on the political affiliations of the Capitol press corps. We posted a list of several reporters who were registered as Democrats. Now that’s not a crime within itself, or, even suggests that these fine reporters aren’t capable of writing stories without inflicting their personal biases. But a story yesterday by Tulsa World reporter Barbara Hoberock, makes us seriously question her motives behind her Brad Henry, Drew Edmondson puff piece.
OKPNS fully understands that reporters do not write the headlines for their stories, but the following headline for Hoberock’s story gives you a gist of the angle of the piece: “AG Gave Advice on Abortion Bill” with the sub headline: “Henry Was Told About Problems With a Hotly Debated Abortion Measure.”
Why does a story of the attorney general performing his duties – dispensing legal advice to the governor and other state agencies – warrant a 15 paragraph story? Many could surmise that this story is meant to deflect from the question of the morality or immorality of abortion, and instead, turn Henry’s controversial veto last week into a question of legalities only.
Martin Luther King wrote about obeying “just and unjust laws” in his famous letter from a Birmingham jail.
“One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all”
Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”
We can’t imagine aborting a fetus or a baby “squares with the moral law or the law of God.”
Below is a quote from Daily Kos, the most popular and influential left wing blog on the Internet. The site averages over half a million hits a day. Today they gave their assessment of the Democrats chances of picking up additional Senate Seats in ‘08. Senator Inhofe’s re-election is in the “could get interesting” category.
“Races that are or might be interesting by Election Day 2008. The first thing that surprises is that out of 33 races this cycle, a full 20 have the potential of turning into real races. Given that 14 of those are Republicans, it’s a great map for Democrats.
If ridiculously popular Gov. Brad Henry runs, this is a race….2010 presents a better chance for him when crazy Tom Coburn faces his first reelection battle. A January Tulsa World poll (essentially a Republican outfit) gave Inhofe ratings of 56/27, and George Bush 47/47.”
The Tulsa World a “Republican outfit?” PLEASE!!
RELATED: Tulsa World Endorses Henry. What????
TULSA, Okla.(AP) A spokeswoman for Congressman John Sullivan says the Oklahoma Republican is apologizing for describing critics of his Tulsa Race Riot legislation as — quote — “bigots.”
Christina Tuff says Sullivan chose to apologize in a letter to the editor that was published in the Sunday Tulsa World because of previous letters the newspaper had published on his comments.
Sullivan’s apology grew out of reactions to comments he made last month when he introduced a bill to make a memorial to the 1921 riot part of the National Park Service.
During an interview on the legislation, the congressman conceded that some people in Tulsa resist that plan and said about them — quote — “they are either bigots or they don’t understand.”
The remarks generated a host of letters to the newspaper, prompting Sullivan to issue an apology.
TULSA, Okla.(AP) A spokeswoman for Congressman John Sullivan says the Oklahoma Republican is apologizing for describing critics of his Tulsa Race Riot legislation as — quote — “bigots.”
Christina Tuff says Sullivan chose to apologize in a letter to the editor that was published in the Sunday Tulsa World because of previous letters the newspaper had published on his comments.
Sullivan’s apology grew out of reactions to comments he made last month when he introduced a bill to make a memorial to the 1921 riot part of the National Park Service.
During an interview on the legislation, the congressman conceded that some people in Tulsa resist that plan and said about them — quote — “they are either bigots or they don’t understand.”
The remarks generated a host of letters to the newspaper, prompting Sullivan to issue an apology.
Democratic Party infighting took center stage on the national stage last week. Presidential aspirant Sen. Hillary Clinton called for Sen. Barak Obama to apologize for disparaging remarks made by an Obama contributor towards the Senator and her husband. The over-reaction by the Clinton campaign was coupled with a report that Sen. Joseph Lieberman is considering changing parties due to his party’s position on the war. Now it seems that same intraparty squabling is occuring withing the ODP as well.
In another “can’t see the forest for the trees” piece, The Tulsa World reports that Attorney General Drew Edmondson claims Claremore Sen. Sean Burrage had a “conflict of interest” when he voted last week for a bill declaring that animal waste is not hazardous. Sen. Burrage’s law firm has had Tyson Foods as a current and former client. The attorney general is correct in his assertion of a conflict of interest, but his action of throwing a fellow democrat under the bus on behalf of the poultry suit; and the World still ignoring alleged charges of corruption and harrassment within the attorney general’s office, only produces more questions of conflicts of interests between the World and the attorney general.
Chairman Pryor used the Utilitarian philosophy for damage control in an aptly named post today called, “The Greater Good” on the ODP blog:
“Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has repeatedly taken the position that his job is to protect the citizens and resources of our great state — his position is a personal conviction and is inherent in his constitutional oath of office.
I am very pleased that his walk matches his talk and that he continues to pursue every option available to protect our water resources for the greater good of the people of Oklahoma.
Let’s make sure that anyone who personally benefits from or directly represents the poultry producers does the right thing and abstains from this vote on the floor….”
Paper still has head in the sand when it comes to real scandals
We almost made it through the week without the need for issuing a “Hypocrisy Watch.” Mick Hinton of the Tulsa World, has written the talking points memo for Oklahoma Democrats’ today, under the guise of “objective journalism.” The piece reports that Speaker Cargill is “summon[ing] key lobbyists” to “special meetings” outside the capitol for fundraising activities. Now usually when one thinks of a summons, you think of a court of a law and a judge mandating you appear. Was this a deliberate choice of words Mick?
We’ve copied every quote from a lobbyist in the piece. You’ll notice a familiar, recurring theme in every comment. Remember, this is every lobbyists quoted in the piece, so we’re not purposely omitting positive quotes:
“Lobbyist Bobby Stem confirmed that he met with the speaker on Tuesday at an office outside the Capitol.”
“It was the friendliest fundraising meeting I’ve ever had, and you can quote me on that,” said Stem, a prominent lobbyist during Democratic administrations.” (What would you expect from a Democratic lobbyist?)
“Stem said there was no strong-arming for contributions, although he said it was “very pro-active” with money raising emphasized in several ways.”
“One lobbyist said he felt uncomfortable going to the “un-neutral” site, while another said it was “cheesy.” Both spoke on the condition that they not be identified.”
“After leaving the office, lobbyist Jim Walker acknowledged that he had just talked with the speaker, but said “it is no different than what used to occur at the Capitol, from time to time.”
“But others said they felt compelled to comply with the speaker’s wishes. They said that has been the case in the past, but the methods were different this time around.”
Hey Mick, how about investigating the attorney general and the poultygate scandal going on “five minutes from the Capitol?” What about the Chairman of your newspaper contributing money to the AG while his paper is endorsing him. We’ll re-use the analogy we made earlier this week regarding your paper’s lazy reporting. This piece was akin to a reporter covering the Superbowl and only writing about Prince’s new shoes! What about the fact that it was held in plain view away from the Capitol? What about the angle that it illustrates the reforms Cargill is looking to initiate?
Attorney General Drew Edmondson is apparently very popular with Oklahoma’s lazy media. Our continuing investigation into the media’s appalling silence in the “poultrygate” scandal has turned up another interesting development.World publishing Chairman Richard E. Lorton donated $2,000 to the Edmondson re-election effort last year. Coincidentally, Edmondson also won the World’s endorsement. The AG’s republican opponent James Dunn was outraised and outspent almost three to one in the race and was soundly defeated in a landslide. (61% -39%)
Again we ask the question: Why would Mr. Lorton and KSWO executives feel so compelled to jeopardize their respective organizations’ journalistic integrity by supporting financially a political campaign that was in no danger of being defeated? You would think credible news organizations would keep an arms length distance from a candidate running for re-election, especially a candidate currently involved in a controversial lawsuit!
Are there any real Oklahoma journalists out there? Outside of the stories reporting on Edmondson performing his official duties, we would be curious to know the Lexis/Nexis search results of Edmondson’s and James Dunn’s mentions in the Tulsa World last year. Please send in confidence to our tipline.
