I guess the sellout is complete. The editor of the new Chamber of Commerce newsletter “likes” the anti-rhetoric rhetoric of incumbent mayor Jim Lane. So much for neutrality of the media.
A recent Facebook post from incumbent Scottsdale mayor Jim Lane plagiarized the campaign slogan of challenger (and three-term former council member) Bob Littlefield, by purloining the phrase “Keep Scottsdale Special.”
Not only does Scottsdale Independent editor Terrance Thornton appear to endorse Lane by “liking” the post (in direct contradiction of Independent Newspapers’ claimed “purposeful neutrality”), I guess ole Terrance slept through the Cronkite School of Journalism class where they discussed plagiarism.
Funny, with all the national backlash about Melania Trump plagiarizing Michelle Obama during Melania’s Republican National Conference speech, you’d think that Lane and his lame PR folks would be more sensitive to this issue…not to mention a “journalist” like Thornton.
And it’s not just Lane. Incumbent council member Virginia Korte (who also has miraculously escaped serious criticism from Thornton’s Scottsdale Independent) has done it, too; along with council member Linda Milhaven, and council candidate Dan Schweiker. All of them appear to be on Thornton’s cool-kids list.
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I saw that post on Facebook and wondered about the appropriateness of a newspaper editor “liking” one candidate’s site but not all candidates’ sites. I thought journalists were supposed to avoid the appearance of partisanship?
Yes, me too. In fact, Independent Newspapers’ published mission statement reads,
“INI’s approach to journalism is also a bit unusual. It is devoted to straight and unbiased reporting. Instead of writing editorials, it draws citizens into community decision-making and showcases the public’s opinions. INI’s commitment to purposeful neutrality – along with its focus on local issues, local organizations and local involvement – help build a strong sense of community.”