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The Republican Gazette
Papers shouldn't allow anonymous attacks on sound-off lines
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Republicans go on offensive in regard to The Journal coverage
Like Howard Beal in the film, "Network," Republicans in the Eastern Panhandle are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore, based on a flurry of email activity that circulated between GOP officials on Monday.On the heels of The Republican Gazette's story on Monday about the biases of The Journal against Republicans, Delegates Craig Blair and Jonathan Miller awoke Monday morning to find themselves essentially being slandered by items appearing in the newspaper's "Journal Junction," which is The Journal's version of those "sound off" lines allowing anonymous callers to leave messages about almost anything.On Blair, the published item claimed that he opposed a recent zoning initiative in Berkeley County "because his family orchard is being developed into a housing development." In fact, neither Blair nor his family have owned the property in question for many years.On Miller, The Journal published a "Junction" item claiming that in addition to his legislative salary, he was being paid "$8,430 for being on the West Virginia Department of Highways Committee," a blatantly untrue assertion. As Miller said, Monday, "I make no such amount for being on a 'WV DOH Committee.' I don't even serve on such a committee, much less make any money for it. As a Delegate, I'm not allowed to accept money for serving on such committees. It is not only unethical, but it is illegal to do in my capacity as a public servant."In both cases, The Journal promised strong corrections to run in this morning's edition, but as always, the damage is already done by the irresponsible publishing of these items. And what's particularly interesting in Blair's case is that The Journal asked him about the accuracy of the item, but published it anyway even after learning it was untrue. Blair visited The Journal offices on Monday and voiced his complaints directly to publisher Craig Bartoldson.Further, a prominent Berkeley County Republican leader was composing and sending a letter this week to Robert Nutting, CEO of Wheeling-based Ogden Newspapers, owner of The Journal, to draw Nutting's attention to the various examples of bias and unfairness evident in the paper's political coverage, including the obvious conflict of interest involving editor Maria Lorensen and the Circuit Court candidacy of her husband, Mike Lorensen. Monday's story on The Journal seems to have opened a Pandora's Box of news, information and even long-suppressed outrage from frustrated Eastern Panhandle residents. Several notes were received here throughout the day on Monday from first-time emailers from the EP with more stories of biased treatment from The Journal, as well as other information. 
How West Virginia sees America
This clever map was making the email rounds on Monday, and was just too good to pass up. Very funny, and, of course, very true.
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Bus transportation being arranged for travelers to RNC convention location
Republican activist Mike Ankrom is busy lining up bus transportation for West Virginia delegates, alternates and guests planning to attend the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.With fuel prices making air travel even more expensive, the opportunity to travel by bus to the convention is becoming increasingly attractive to convention-goers.The bus will leave for Minnesota on Saturday, August 30, and arrive in Bloomington on Sunday, August 31. The bus will leave Bloomington for West Virginia the morning of Friday, August 5. Therefore, those planning on riding the bus should contact Marti Riggall at WVGOP headquarters (768-0493) so she can make sure reservations for the Crowne Plaza reflect an arrival date of Sunday, August 31, and a departure date of Friday, September 5. Contact Mike Ankrom at 617-6208 or email him for bus details.