Thursday, February 21, 2008
Al Diamon
Information Deficit
Thanks to a Feb. 14 article in the Bangor Daily News, I know something about Susan Mackey Andrews. I know she’s “a longtime local resident” of Dover-Foxcroft. I know she’s “a small business owner.” I know she has “a lot of insight and a proven track record of working at the state level.” I know she belongs to the town charter commission, thinks education is really important and has been married to Fred Andrews for 23 years.
What I don’t know is if Susan Mackey Andrews is a Democrat or a Republican. Which would seem to be important information, considering the whole point of the newspaper article is to announce her candidacy for the state Senate. I also don’t know who she’s running against, whether she’s ever run for anything before, what her positions are on the major issues facing the state or much of anything else that might help me decide whether she’s worth supporting.
That’s because the BDN story isn’t a real story. The paper merely reprinted a press release from the candidate, without bothering to do any actual reporting. I could accept that if the Bangor paper clearly labeled the piece as a bit of public relations. But it didn’t. It laid it out as if it were a news story and printed it on a page with a bunch of legitimate stories.
While the BDN is perhaps the worst offender in the state at this sort of thing (it’s run at least two other deficient announcement stories since the Andrews piece), it’s far from alone. Many weekly papers and even the Portland Press Herald engage in the same practice. A Feb. 15 brief in the Press Herald informed readers that Carl Young of Woolwich was running for the state House of Representatives. It did mention incumbent Democrat Carol Grose, but gave no indication whether Young is running against her in the primary (which would make him a Dem) or the general election (which would make him a Republican – or a Green – or an independent). The short piece didn’t include any information on Grose’s plans for another term. Apparently, that sort of thing isn’t deemed newsworthy.
Time for a Journalism 101 refresher course?
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2008 in Permalink
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Reader Comments:
Hello,
As a resident of Maine, Mr. Diamon, I have been reading your articles and commentary for well over a decade now.I recently read this article of yours regarding Susan Mackey Andrews contention for state senate. I would like to make you aware, as well as your readers, that I submitted a response that was critical of Ms. Mackey Andrews to the publisher of the piece about which you wrote. That piece was removed.
Censorship, as well as publication of biased or "un-newsworthy" journalism, by a news source is a problematic issue. However, censorship by a news source about a political race is even more egregious, and should be called out by others in the profession.
Thank you for doing so.
Anon, Esq.