Re: Newspaper endorsement scorecard
No one has posted because no one is surprised regarding the repolling editorial. I believe most Star Tribune readers believe the Star Tribune is the most liberal or one of the most liberal newspapers in the country. I am sure the Star Tribune people would say they are merely reflecting the community they serve and that most of their readers, if polled, would agree that the Florida precints should be repolled. Bill Dooley (Ward 13)(Kenny). - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 10:39 PM Subject: Re: Newspaper endorsement scorecard I'm surprised no one has posted anything on the Strib's stunning Thursday editorial, where they recommended "repolling" the Florida voters confused by the original butterfly ballot. If this isn't a case of reasoned analysis being blinded by "liberal" bias, what is? To my knowledge, no other newspaper editorial page--and I read about a dozen online--advocated opening this can of worms. Britt Robson Lyndale
Re: Newspaper endorsement scorecard
I'm surprised no one has posted anything on the Strib's stunning Thursday editorial, where they recommended "repolling" the Florida voters confused by the original butterfly ballot. If this isn't a case of reasoned analysis being blinded by "liberal" bias, what is? To my knowledge, no other newspaper editorial page--and I read about a dozen online--advocated opening this can of worms. Britt Robson Lyndale
Re: RE newspaper endorsement scorecard
Steve, of course, is correct about the organizational separation between editorial and news. The difficulty? Such facts elude most readers, even the more sophisticated policy wonks. And if only it were as absolute as that. The lack of real competition in newspapering these days should have shoved the survivors into a more objective news mode, but it's almost impossible, because humans and owners and money are running the show - not the reader seeking news they can trust, opinions they can accept or reject and an outlet where money has little to do with coverage. Naive. Still, hefty competition has not served to downplay the perception - and the reality - of clear bias in both reporting and editorial. But that's OK. When there's plenty of competition, papers can take on an identity associated with a political philosophy. The problem comes when they try to hornswaggle the public into the notion that bias enters not these hallowed news pages. Historically, as any observer should know, the dailies, in particular, were organs of political parties pretending to be objective, or of media moguls manipulating public opinion from the front page back. Citizen Kane (Wm. Randolph Hearst) was a reality couched in fiction. My great-grandfather, who owned the St. Paul Pioneer Press for the last third of the 19th Century, was a devout Republican, and, with no apologies for the slant, all papers then were promoted as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Populist." His was Republican, and he served as one in the State Senate. Many were named for their politics. Think about the Red Wing Republican. It lives up to its name. Most newspapers still do, in fact, blend news coverage with editorial opinion. Smaller communities betray biases all of the time in news stories, fearful of angering their advertisers over any story considered truly probative of, say, a polluting business, or a corrupted elected official. Any wonder why the cynicism? That's the tradition in journalism; all efforts to disclaim bias fall on deaf ears. And should. Oh, you can hear the wails of reporters (including me) going up in protest when their objectivity is questioned; more often than not, they cover their subjects well and with as much balance as possible. But they also try to disown the bias shown by editors on the news side, who betray themselves in in the news they choose to cover, whom they choose to assign a story, whose interview is published, how much space to assign a story and where it's placed. It is less the subjectivity of media coverage than perpetuating the sham that all reporting is objective, balanced, blah-blah-blah, but rather must, in the face of human nature have two biases underlying it: the personal bias of any writer, and the editorial bias they know they will face when filing a story. Let's simply get real. Just examine, for instance, the extraordinary role the St. Paul PP played in the march toward a publicly funded stadium, once the paper signed onto the notion. The cases are legion. Andy Driscoll -- "Whatever keeps you from your work is your work." Albert Camus The Driscoll Group/Communications Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development 835 Linwood Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105 651-293-9039 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: "Steve Brandt" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2000 10:41:18 -0600 To: "Multiple recipients of list" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE newspaper endorsement scorecard And today's' lesson is? Although this is editorial page data, don't assume the Strib is an unbiased, objective newspaper. Bob Schoonover Afton MN A more apt lesson would be to not assume that the Strib has an unbiased, objective EDITORIAL PAGE. News and editorial are separate departments. Labeling the whole paper because of the stance of the editorial page is a misreading of how a newspaper functions. It's comparable to concluding that because the Supreme Court rules one way, the Justice Department and the rest of the federal government must feel that way. Is there liberal bias on the editorial page? Bob's numbers can speak for themselves. I do know that the Pioneer's editorial page made some conscious choices several years ago to seek conservative-liberal balance in its staff. The bulk of the Star Tribune legislative endorsements are researched by two retired reporters who have close to a half-century's experience between them in covering state government and rate as pretty fair observers of both the issues and what it takes to ably serve as a legislator. They are Gene Lahammer, formerly of the Associated Press, and Betty Wilson, formerly of the Star and the Star Tribune. Steve Brandt
RE: Newspaper endorsement scorecard
Or, just maybe, the Democrates are, 77% of the time, the better choice. The stats really tell us nothing. Bruce Anderson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Blaine, MN -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 10:07 AM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Newspaper endorsement scorecard Following is the distribution data by party designation of candidates in tomorrows election as endorsed and published by the Minneapolis StarTribune and by the St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minneapolis StarTribune: -- endorsed Democrats= 77% -- endorsed Republicans = 18% -- endorsed Independents = 5% St. Paul Pioneer Press: -- endorsed Democrats= 50% -- endorsed Republicans = 50% -- endorsed Independents = 0% I've done this analysis for quiet a few elections and the Strib endorsements are always 70-80% for Democrats. And todays' lesson is? Although this is editorial page data, don't assume the Strib is an unbiased, objective newspaper. Bob Schoonover Afton MN
Re: Newspaper endorsement scorecard
You might also note that the percentage of democrats and republicans in Minneapolis probably mirrors the endorsement percentages. I know the republicans in my ward could hold a meeting in a phone booth--if there were phone booths anymore. Wizard Marks, Central [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Following is the distribution data by party designation of candidates in tomorrows election as endorsed and published by the Minneapolis StarTribune and by the St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minneapolis StarTribune: -- endorsed Democrats= 77% -- endorsed Republicans = 18% -- endorsed Independents = 5% St. Paul Pioneer Press: -- endorsed Democrats= 50% -- endorsed Republicans = 50% -- endorsed Independents = 0% I've done this analysis for quiet a few elections and the Strib endorsements are always 70-80% for Democrats. And todays' lesson is? Although this is editorial page data, don't assume the Strib is an unbiased, objective newspaper. Bob Schoonover Afton MN
RE: RE newspaper endorsement scorecard
On the issue of Star Tribune endorsements: Not that I am proud to remind folks of this point but I was not endorsed by the Star Tribune in my campaign in 1997. My independent opponent, who was endorsed and supported by the incumbent Pat Scott, was endorsed in the 7th Ward. One of things they said about me at the time was that I wouldn't be as prepared to represent downtown. I guessed at the time living downtown didn't count for very much. Many thought they needed to support some Independent or republican candidates for balance. Lisa Goodman -Original Message- From: Alan Shilepsky [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 2:35 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject:RE newspaper endorsement scorecard Steve Brandt suggests (see below) that press veterans Gene Lahammer and Betty Wilson are doing the heavy lifting (research) that results in the Stribe's editorial decisions. I wonder how much and what kind of research goes into the paper's endorsement decisions. I remember that when I was interviewed in 1998 Gene was there, but so was Lori Studevant (sp?) and someone apparently her subordinate. I felt that Lori was in charge. I would love to see the voting tally sheets of the endorsement interview committees, and see them crosstabbed against parties, issues and eventual endorsements. My trust level for the Stribe is not high. I don't blame major candidates who decline to screen. Why spend one or two hours and to just give them ammunition to rip you. I can't complain myself, or complain much about *this* year's tone. The writers are becoming more civil. But I remember 1997 when several Reform Party city council candidates were screened. In the interviews they were pressed hard on public financing of a stadium, but stuck to their guns and remained firmly against it (as did most of the public). My recollection generally was that none of our candidates were endorsed, their rejection of public subsidy was not mentioned in the write-ups (though it was a major interview topic), and that the editorial writers patronized or trashed some of them as people and or as candidates. As though they had been audacious to presume to run (against DFL anointed candidates). I wish the editorial page of the paper would try to reflect the diversity of political experience and opinion in this region. As Oliver Cromwell once said--Sir I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, is it possible ye may be mistaken? Humility is a virtue in anyone with significant power or range. But it is not a characteristic flowing off of the Stribe's editorial page. Alan Shilepsky Downtown The bulk of the Star Tribune legislative endorsements are researched by two retired reporters who have close to a half-century's experience between them in covering state government and rate as pretty fair observers of both the issues and what it takes to ably serve as a legislator. They are Gene Lahammer, formerly of the Associated Press, and Betty Wilson, formerly of the Star and the Star Tribune.
