Mistake Upon Mistake

I pointed out yesterday that the Republic's Pat Kossan wrote a condescending story about the death of the International Baccalaureate bill but she didn't realize that the provisions of the bill had simply been moved into the state budget. 

The Republic refused the Legislative staff's request to correct the A1 story and tried to remedy the problem by slipping a reference to the budget into the on line version. 

Mistakes pile on mistakes.  Republic Editorial writer Joel Nilsson relied on the original story and wrote this "Quick Hit" in response.

The myopia of our state lawmakers never ceases to amaze. An international studies program in the global economy makes tremendous sense. My boys went through the International Baccalaureate high school program. They were challenged and taught to think. That's what good education programs should do. A bill to set up more schools and begin a foreign language in kindergarten was shot down by lawmakers who can't think outside their failing school boundaries. What a shame!

If the Republic had acknowledged that the fundamental premise of the original story was incorrect, Nilsson wouldn't have been made the fool in his quick hit. 

Members of the Editorial Board already complain privately that the legislative coverage is so weak that there isn't enough fodder for editorials.  This isn't going to help alleviate the tension. 

Comments

[Special Agent Johnny Utah]

I'm pretty sure Pat Kossan is a she, not a he.

[Joe Stummer]

Is the legislative reporting any weaker than any other aspect of Republic reporting? The problem with the Republic isn't that it's biased. The problem is that the reporting and writing are just so awful it's beyond belief that it's put together by adults. It's really paper deserving of all the ridicule that it gets. The problem with some of the criticism - people who call it the Repugnant - is that Republic staffers interpret those comments as just the rantings of right wing ideologues.

I guess it doesn't really matter in the long run as the Republic is going the way of the buggy whip, as you've noted on this blog. But to the extent that the Republic wants to turn its invested capital into something positive, you'd think they'd make some changes, and fast.

[NICK]

The two reasons I buy the Sunday Rag.

The TV Guide and a few laff's observing the
inmates!

[ron]

The university paper I was part of in the earlier 70s demonstrated better journalism than this paper called the Arizona Republic.

[unknown]

I'm a person who is VERY involved with the legislative process (about all I can say on that subject), and I couldn't agree with you more regarding the legislative coverage. The reporters covering the Capitol have no idea what is really going on, who truly has influence, and who is really doing most of the work - be it Democrat or Republican. Today's Sunday paper once again proved that. It's a travesty. If you need accurate information on the Capitol, you better be reading the Capitol Times and the Yellow Sheet (a small piece of advice for Republic editorial board members...).