More Bias on P'Keepsie Journal Letters Page Jan. 6, 2004
The Poughkeepsie Journal finally got around to publishing my letter after falsely claiming that it exceeded their length limit, and after I proved to them that it wasn't. But they just couldn't resist exposing their bias by the headline they placed over it. If you're a regular reader of the letters page, you'd have to have noticed that hardly a day goes by without at least one insane rant from a Bush-hater, most with little, if any, basis in fact. Yet, in all the letters making preposterous accusations against the president, the Journal has not added the word “alleged” in a headline over a letter where the word did not appear in the letter - until they published mine. The headline over my letter read, “ACLU is silent on some alleged abuses.”
In case you aren't aware, I have been monitoring the Poughkeepsie Journal's letters to the editor since Sep. 10, 2003. Since that date, I have downloaded all the letters from their website and have them in a database. This gives me the ability to compile information concerning what is published on the letters page. For instance, this is a compilation of all the letters that have the word "Bush" in the headline (remember, the headline is created by the Journal editor, not the letter author):
- Bush squandering gains under Clinton
- Bush, not Clinton, to blame for U.S. ills
- Bush's Iraqi mission is backfiring on U.S.
- Bush's big bungles leading to single term
- Bush's foreign policy is all about the oil
- Bush's hidden agenda hinders peace hopes
- Bush wants money, but won't give details
- It's time to consider impeaching Bush
- Valley views: Bush plan would put aviation safety
- Bush administration has failed American people
- Bush, 'War Party' have no regard for soldiers
- Speak out against Bush's lies and lust for power
- Bush is right on war, just ask military
- Bush compassion for Iraq is misplaced
- Iraq fiasco is enough to drive Bush out
- Bush, Republicans know only deceit
- West Point grad has chance against Bush
- Criticism of Bush is based on inaccuracies
- Bush ignores needs of Palestinians
- Democrats' tax cut better than Bush's
- Bush, Palestinians at fault in Mideast
- Bush can't hide casualties of war against Saddam
- Only thing solid about Bush is his arrogance
- Bush, GOP policies wrecking country
- Praise troops' hard work, not Bush administration
- Fundamentalism warps Bush policy
- Bush critics aren't to blame for mess
- Don't attack Bush without good cause
- Bush, Rumsfeld find they couldn't 'do it alone'
- Energy bill will benefit only Bush and cronies
- End lies, sacrifice of lives by voting out Bush
- We have met the enemy: He is Bush
- Alleged Bush sighting has media in a tizzy
- Question Bushes' actions regarding Saddam, Iraq
- Get real information on Bush elsewhere
- Despite the left, Bush is saving us from terrorist
- Story plan on Cheney shows anti-Bush slant
- Bush's lie on taxes warrants his ouster
- Bush should admit part played in Iraq
Do you see any headlines in this list that should have had the word “alleged” in them? I see quite a few!
There's another small thing that bears mentioning. If you compare the letter I sent with the what was published, you'll notice that they appended the letters “ic” whenever I used the word “Democrat.” After the fuss they made the length of the letter, it seems odd that they'd want to add to it.