When Newspapers Attack

I've been highlighting some of the techniques that newspapers use in order to manipulate readers.  One of the most powerful tools that they use is the "Letter to the Editor as Reporter".  This is a fairly new trick; in the old days, letters to the editor expressed opinions, now, editors are increasingly using letters to the editor as a tool to print news items that don't meet journalistic standards.

Here's an egregious example in which former Arizona Republic Executive Bill Shover writes a letter to chriticize Governor Brewer getting some of the credit for Arizona being awarded the 2015 Super Bowl.  Incredibly, Shover complains that Brewer is somehow being hypocritical because 25 years ago she voted against an anti scalping law that the NFL and the Republic were pushing*. 

Shover claims in the letter that then State Senator Brewer told him--25 years ago--that she was not voting against the bill for philosophical reasons, she was voting against it because her "sons were scalpers."  Brewer for her part denies that she ever said this.  (I think her sons were still in high school in the late 1980s.)

Naturally, an outrageous allegation like Shover's couldn't be printed by a reporter.  It's a 25 year old quote that was never reported contemporaneously, is unlikely based on the facts, and is denied by the Governor.  But the Republic managed to get it into play by letting Shover make the charge from his retirement home. 

Footnote:  Notice that Shover was working the anti-scalping bill?  Do you think he registered as a lobbyist? Of course not, he's working for truth and light, so he doesn't have to disclose his activities.  Don't ever forget that newspapers are owned my corporations and those corporations have agendas.  They push that agenda on their news and editorial pages and they pay lobbyists in order to get that agenda passed.

Comments

[Tod]

I'm not so sure that they 'push' their agenda on the subordinates ... it is more that they hire people that have the same (liberal) thought process. Therefore, they don't have to push, because they all sing the same song from the same hymnal

[George]

Tod, it's been called the hive syndrome. Bees are not trained to work the hive; it's their nature. Newspapers, universities, and other such institutions make sure they hire only bees and will chase away any butterflies that may slip in.

[westsider]

Greg, You write, "Don't ever forget that newspapers are owned my (sic) corporations and those corporations have agendas."

Show me a corporation who doesn't have an agenda. If you can find one, it won't be in business long. Of course, some corporations misunderstand their agenda and soon are out of business, e.g. railroads thought they were in the railroad business instead of the transportation business, hence, they were soon out of business.

Ron

[Nicholas]

owned my (sic) corporations

PICKY!

[Jack]

I don't know how far back the online lobbyist registration database goes, but it does indicate that William Shover was registered as a lobbyist for three entities, including Phoenix Newspapers, from 1997 to 1999.

[janfan]

Thanks, Jack. Happy to see someone is checking Greg's "facts."

[George]

Uhhhhh, Jan? Jack? Were 1997 - 1999 really 25 years ago? Unless they are, Jack has not checked Greg's facts.