Over the years in spite of complaints, a few they published and we would think a large number, which they did not. They strived to push their agenda on the people of middle Georgia.
They have done this in several different ways, we have found they:
Will take an article and use what they want and discard the rest.
They tend to what we call story shop, that is they will select from a variety of different sources what suits their agenda. We are talking about sources such as AP (Associated Press), Times Tribune Washington Bureau, Knight Ridder, (when they existed and before they sold out to) McClatchy Newspapers, LA Times, etc.
The will alter the title of articles to put forth what they want the reader to believe.
They use their wordsmiths to write columns to put forth their agenda as they want.
They change letters to the editor. This last one was hard to pin down. Once in a while they would change a letter and then print a correction when the outraged letter writer demanded it.
We experienced this first hand except they refused to print a correction.
On Monday, August 23, 2004 during the presidential campaign they ran a letter from an individual that accused a former swift boat commander named Larry Thurlow, and Lt. Cmdr. George M. Elliott as being “bald-faced liars.”
So much for their “Letters whose only intent is to direct personal criticism… will not be considered” It is evident they will consider any letter which serves their agenda!
We wrote a short letter laying out the facts in the letter and then in the last sentence of our letter we asked if they had any proof of this slander that they should print it. Of course there was no proof.
They simply dropped the last sentence of the letter giving the impression that we agreed with the letter writer calling both individuals “bold-faced liars.”
We wrote another letter requesting they correct the error. They would not do it. We then called and talked to the late Phil Dodson about the problem. His response upon hearing our complaint that he changed the intent of the letter was to scream into the phone that what he had done “didn’t change anything.”
We are quite sure that we were not the only ones singled out for this kind of treatment.
In some cases they will pass off anything they print in letterform as the opinion of the writer, no matter how absurd or dishonest it is. In other cases they will add a editorial note at the bottom to so-call “clarify the intent”. This usually make it conform to their agenda.
During the Clinton era when they were faced with the crimes, deceit and dishonesty of the administration they resorted to the media practice of labeling it as “spin”. During the Bush administration they modified this and started the practice of labeling things as lies and people as liars. Now during the Obama administration they just ignore things they do not want in print. We call this deceit by omission and consider it to be just as dishonest as lying to the public in print.
They can not seem to grasp the fact that the people of middle Georgia will support an honest newspaper. It is simple, what most people we talk to want is honest news not what The Telegraph wants them to have. What they do is a form of censorship and people do not like it. What the people want is honest and straightforward news
We are convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that anyone depending on The Telegraph for honest news going into the upcoming election will be disappointed. The Telegraph has proved that the facts will be few and far between.
They can deny it, they lie about it or they can ignore it, the one thing they can not do is change it.
This is our opinion what is yours. You can contact us by e-mail at wetrack@windstream.net.
Have a nice day.
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