About Joe Biden's stutter and horrendous journalism.

 Many years ago when computer networks were connected by telephone lines, I joined what was then called the Northwest Database. It included a journalism review generated by a bunch of professors and journalists in the Dakotas and Minnesota with contributions from surrounding states.  The review analyzed the performance of the news media in the region and periodically polled its subscribers to rank the media.  In a couple of those rankings, my local newspaper was ranked as the worst daily newspaper in South Dakota.   There were many reasons for the low repute, but the two main ones were for the newspaper failing to fact check quotations it published and its deferential coverage of some politicians.  The newspaper's readers were not being provided reliable information, and it showed more interest in ingratiating itself with powerful people than in actually covering the news.  Some of those old problems seem to linger on at times.

A few days ago, the Aberdeen American News published a letter to the editor with the headline "Muttering Joe would funny if he weren't sad [sic]."  It is a partisan letter, as many are, but it is also a letter that is totally malevolent with the writer obviously of the opinion that he is more intelligent than he in fact is. Newpapers build their reputations on the accuracy of their reporting and the cogency of their writing.  Letters to the editor present problems because their writers are often neither accurate reporters or competent writers.The letters need special editorial treatment when they fall below standards of accuracy, literacy, and style.  At a newspaper I worked for the editors would work with substandard writers to try to bring their letters up to par, because they reflect on the newspaper that publishes them.  The letter about Joe Biden needed much editorial attention.

The letter lists things that Biden has said or done that are not true or are presented in a false light, and does not indicate where those things are alleged to have happened.   One of the accusations is:  "Millions of voters never heard Joe Biden mock a stuttering child..."   

Joe Biden is a stutterer.  He has been very open about that fact and has talked about it to help other people who stutter deal with the problem.  He devoted a portion of a town hall to explaining the problem and he learned to overcome it.  Over the years, I have had numerous students who stuttered and know how hard they work on their speech in order to  participate in society.  Joe Biden has moments when his speech is halting, but I have never seen him or heard about him mocking a child.

The letter in question is malicious.   The Aberdeen American News needs to be more concerned about truth and accuracy in what it chooses to print.  Too much of what people, like the letter writer, are agitating about is simply not true.