Friday, August 08, 2008

McClatchy’s N&O’s unbelievable “credible” sources

This past Sunday, Ted Vaden, the Raleigh News & Observer’s public editor pitched readers the N&O’s explanation for why it had never published anything about the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair until just days before; and then only a few details buried in the "B" section.

Vaden didn’t remind readers the former Senator, Presidential-nominee candidate and self-described “poverty fighter” has been an N&O favorite since he entered public life.

Vaden said nothing about the N&O’s 1998 endorsement of Edwards during his only Senate race; or the N&O's 2004 endorsement when Edwards ran for Vice-president with Sen. John Kerry.

And Vaden never explained why the Dems at McClatchy’s N&O reported nothing last year about Edwards’ affair with Hunter and her pregnancy, even when Edwards and Hunter both publicly denied the affair and another man in the N&O’s circulation area, Andrew Young (not the former UN Amb.) stepped forward to say he was the daddy.

Wouldn't you think the N&O, which John Edwards calls "my hometown newspaper," would view Edwards as a "credible source of news?"

But this past Sunday public editor Vaden told N&O readers:

The N&O approached the story cautiously. On Wednesday, John Drescher, executive editor, told me that N&O reporters were investigating the allegations but that the paper would not publish a story about the tabloid report. "I don't view the National Enquirer as a credible source of news," he said.
There you go.

That’s what readers and advertisers pay the N&O to do, right?

"Filtering the news" is what former N&O executive editor for news Melanie Sill called it.

By the way, does anyone know why the N&O thought Crystal Mangum was such a "credible source of news?"

Vaden's entire column's here.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Crystal Mangum's "credibility" was solely based on her skin color and gender. To mainstream media, a Black female is automatically validated as a source of highest credibility. Conversely, a White male has no inherent credibility unless he is a leftwing nut; then he is considered almost as credible as a Black female, especially if the Black female is a prostitute carrying DNA samples of at least five unknown males within her working spaces.
Tarheel Hawkeye

Anonymous said...

John:

'The N&O approached the story cautiously."

I guess "cautiously" means that it's too much trouble to dial Edwards phone number and ask if he was at the Beverly Hilton.

The N&O level of arrogance (or stupidity) is mindboggling.

Ken
Dallas

Anonymous said...

Way to go John. I would say you just exposed Vaden for the liberal hack that he is and "filtering the news"????? Isn't that what Communist China does??

Anonymous said...

How will N&O 'filter the news" of JEdwards admissions to ABC this afternoon?

Anonymous said...

John:

ABC News.....

"He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father."

I see.

So why was Edwards caught in a secret meeting at the Beverly Hilton at 2:30 in the morning? Was he just out for some fresh air?

Each lie becomes less credible.

Ken
Dallas

Unknown said...

John,

Now that Edwards has admitted the affair to ABC News, does the N&O have a different take?

RebelPOW

Anonymous said...

The Charlotte Observer editor did a much better job of pursuing the Edwards story than his fellow N&O editors did.