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The Republican Gazette
Make your nominations now for the Republican of the Year
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
How to provide unfair coverage, but never mention either candidate's name
Earlier this year, State Senator John Yoder (R-Jefferson) was involved in a high profile debate with fellow senators regarding the method of electing or selecting judges in West Virginia. Yoder favors the merit selection concept, while senators like Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall), favor publicly funded campaigns. When Yoder and Kessler debated the issue during the 2008 regular legislative session, it made statewide and even national news. National Public Radio featured a story with comments by Yoder, and the Wall Street Journal interviewed Yoder three times for stories it produced. The Associated Press also produced a statewide story which appeared on the front page of most papers. But that article was buried on page five of The Journal of Martinsburg -- the home paper in the district where Yoder is running for Circuit Court against Mike Lorensen, the husband of The Journal's editor, Maria Lorensen.Then, The Journal editorialized on the issue, siding with Kessler, and quoting Kessler, without ever mentioning Yoder. The editorial said, "The latest alternative comes from state Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, who suggested during Tuesday’s debate in the Senate that publicly funded campaigns for judicial elections could solve the problem. We would suggest that Kessler is getting to the heart of the matter."Tellingly, The Journal's position on the issue is also Mike Lorensen's position. Mike Lorensen has said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is wrong when it rates West Virginia's court system at number 50, and The Journal has written editorials agreeing that the U.S. Chamber is wrong. The issue is one of the big differences between Yoder and Lorensen, who debated it two weeks ago at the Eastern Panhandle Business Association forum.
So, an issue which The Journal neglects to cover when it comes to Yoder and his position -- although Yoder has been worthy of statewide and national news on the subject -- is virtually ignored by The Journal, while the newspaper essentially adopts Mike Lorensen's campaign position on the issue as its own.Ignoring a campaign completely -- as The Journal is doing with state Senate candidate Bob Adams, while producing two stories in a row about his opponent, Herb Snyder, who received two sets of glowing headlines for making the same, identical pitch to two boards of commissioners -- might be a blatantly obvious way to slant campaign coverage. But the case in point regarding Yoder and Lorensen offers an example of how a newspaper can slant its coverage without directly doing so in stories about the candidates or campaigns themselves. Ignoring a candidate or a newsworthy issue involving the candidate or public official can have just as much of an effect as writing positive pieces about only one candidate. Adopting editorial positions that favor one candidate's position over the other, even without mentioning their names, can have a similar desired outcome, something The Journal has mastered as an art. The Journal offers textbook examples of how to favor one campaign over the other without directly referring to either of the candidates
Nominate your 'Republican of the Year' by submitting form
Bob Adams airs first radio ad of campaign
Bob Adams, candidate for state Senate in the 16th District, today began airing campaign ads in the Eastern Panhandle, highlighting the energy, commitment and fresh ideas he is offering voters in Berkeley and Jefferson counties.You can hear the ad here.The ad begins airing today on WEPM, both during the "Panhandle Live" program and later during Hoppy Kercheval's "Talkline" program. Adams plans to expand the buy in the coming weeks and will alternate a series of different messages."I plan to run an aggressive campaign, asking voters to give me a chance to fight for them in Charleston, and making the case that we don't need to take a giant step backward in policies or ideas," said Adams.Adams is scheduled to be a guest today on "Panhandle Live."In the text box below, nominate your Republican of the Year, and describe in a few words why he or she should be selected. Please include your name and contact info.
The Republican Gazette last week announced it would be honoring a Republican of the Year for 2008, and already some nominations and offers of sponsorship have been received.The text box at left will be included daily on this website for nominations to be made. Criteria is simple -- anyone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to help build the party and elect Republicans.Are you in love with Barack Obama yet?
It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama. Some may even say it's a love affair. We want you to be the judge. Click the screen at right to watch the new video.Whether it's Chris Matthews calling Obama a "gift" to all of us, or reporters openly swooning, or interviewing each other about how wonderful Obama is, the media is having a love affair the likes of which rivals some of the great romances throughout history.Enjoy the video, and ask yourself, how long until you join the media and drink the Kool-Aid from Barack Obama, too?Please make sure to hit your refresh button for the current edition
