His piece at "Political Fix," dated yesterday, With no fanfare, Blunt signs village law repeal, takes this little jab at Missouri Republican House Speaker, Rod Jetton:
"Jetton was widely believed to be responsible for the (village) law being inserted into an omnibus bill a year ago at the behest of developer Robert Plaster, who has also been a campaign donor to Blunt."
I don't think there's, necessarily, a thing wrong with Messenger reporting that Jetton was widely believed to be responsible for the village law being inserted into an omnibus bill, what I take issue with is his continued (along with some other reporters) neglect to mention that Jetton has denied inserting the village law into that omnibus bill.
It's one thing to disparage a person's character, but then to neglect quoting or mentioning that the person has denied what is "widely believed," as Messenger, himself heard and reported Jetton saying in this Messenger blog entry, without any proof to offer that Jetton is lying, to me, is the worst kind of journalistic assault, and it isn't the first time Messenger has engaged in the tactic.
It is "widely believed" that Jetton was responsible "for the (village) law being inserted into an omnibus bill a year ago at the behest of developer Robert Plaster," in part, because of this sort of reporting. Apparently, reporters like Messenger refuse to spend the time required to track down who IS responsible for inserting it. If it was Jetton, fine, I have no problem with that, but to consistently smear someone with doing something they have denied doing with no proof or substantiation, in my opinion, is just wrong.
So, chalk me up as one who, personally, likes Messenger but continues to have little respect for his journalistic integrity, in fact, in some circles around the Queen City, it is "widely believed" he has none.
1 comment:
Wow! I think I heard the hammer hit the nailhead on that one.
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