The Aberdeen American News goes into the libel business
While it is the purpose of opinion sections to express political viewpoints, that license does not extend to stating false facts or accusations. Opinions have to be based upon facts.
This cartoon is based upon Trump's persistent but proven-to-be-false contention that mail-in ballots will contribute to voter fraud and that he will lose the election only if it is rigged. The cartoon portrays the Democratic Party in the form of its donkey symbol coming with an armload of ballots to cast votes but no mailbox to put them in. The premise of this cartoon is a stupid lie. A maliciously stupid lie. It is intended to convey the idea that the Democratic support for mail-in voting has fraudulent intentions.
Although the American News has a history of wretched journalism at times, it has never descended into malicious libel before that I know of. It is now the only so-called news medium operating in the Aberdeen area. So the only medium devotes itself to promoting one of Trump's malicious and false libels.
It is owned by the Gannett company out of McLean, Virginia, and is said to operate 109 local outlets reaching 110 million readers a day. Its email address on editorial matters is ccox@gatehousemedia.com. Its address is :
Gannett Co., Inc.
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, Virginia 22107
703-854-6000
As the presidential election approaches, it is important that journalists and people who depend upon ethical journalism to know that verified facts are being conveyed and that libels uttered with malicious intent be clearly identified. But honesty and competence are needed at the local level. And people in the Aberdeen area do not have access to local news that meets that standard.
If anyone cares that the news and opinions they receive should not contain false representations of facts, they might want to ask if Gannett wants to do anything about it.
1 comment:
Good post Dr. Newquist as always. What the trumpian person missed was a pharmacist running to that mailbox with a prescription for a veteran or an elder. Maybe a mom with a letter or care package to her daughter or son in some far off dangerous military base. The list goes on until the page is filled with those who would use that postal drop box for so many things.
Yes, this paper is libel for being so ignorant of the Post Office and it's importance..while they await the Post Office to deliver their paper or to collect remittance for their services...Irony is a real bitch sometimes.
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