[Updated]Virginian-Pilot Encourages Readers: VOTE DEMOCRAT OR ELSE!!; Pilot Responds
By D.J. Spiker | Monday, February 28th, 2011 | PolicyThe online edition of Monday’s Virginian-Pilot this evening presented a startling yet unsurprising tilt on their main site:
Think your vote in Va.’s elections doesn’t matter? Think again.
12:00 am – This fall, a turnover of as few as two seats in the 40-seat Virginia Senate would shift control to the Republicans, who now control the House and occupy all three state executive offices.
You can almost hear the ominous tones accompanying such a ‘dire’ headline.
Then the first number of sentences in the ‘article’ (should have been an editorial):
Under Democratic control, the Senate has served as a floodgate blocking a steady stream of conservative initiatives emanating from the House of Delegates, where Republicans enjoy a comfortable majority.
The Democrats are a floodgate (definition: something serving to restrain an outburst); Republicans are a steady stream, wave after wave hitting this ‘safety barrier’ repeatedly, protecting the people from these outbursts! Oh the humanity!!
Next?
A shift of power in the Senate this fall – reinforced by Republicans who now occupy all three state executive offices – would give the GOP free rein to turn its agenda into state law.
DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMMM!!! ‘Free rein to turn our ‘agenda’ into state law.’ My God, what could happen!
A balanced budget with no tax increases? An actual transportation plan? The first new funding for transportation in over a decade? Defending Virginia against the overreaches of federal government? The list goes on.
Maybe it’s just my 12:30 AM in the morning overreaction, and it’s certainly not news that the Virginian-Pilot is no bastion of conservatism. This same daily paper has been ‘boycotting’ Bearing Drift for nearly a year and a half now, thanks in no small part to Brian Kirwin’s constant well-deserved criticism, and perhaps a little something do to with me telling their editorial staff to do what is anatomically impossible to themselves for their slanderous, outrageous, yellow journalistic anti-Cuccinelli endorsement in 2009.
It’s an election year, Virginian-Pilot, it’s an election year EVERY year. Is it too much to ask that your coverage at least appear bipartisan?
[Update] In a response to a formal complaint from our own Brian Kirwin about the editorial ‘news’ article in question, a response from a Virginian-Pilot editor was received:
From: Denis Finley
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 8:50 AM
To: brian@rourkpr.com ; Maria Carrillo
Cc: Denise Bridges
Subject: Re: Formal complaint
Unfortunately, I agree with you, Brian.
While I’ve worked hard to keep opinion and bias out of news articles, the occasional slanted piece gets through. It should never happen, but it does.
Thankfully, it’s rare, because it ticks me off.
Thanks for the note.
Denis Finley
Denis Finley
Editor
The Virginian-Pilot
150 W. Brambleton Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-446-2321
denis.finley@pilotonline.com
Dear friends,
I can’t for the life of me understand how this article is considered news. It is categorized as such and written by a reporter who has an exemplary career in news reporting.
“Think your vote in Va.’s elections doesn’t matter? Think again.” by Bill Sizemore.
It reads like an editorial, and contains an amazing amount of slanted and biased statements. Most troubling, however, is the over-arching and overt message of the article: Please vote and stop the Republicans.
That is a fine opinion for the author to hold, and in an opinion column to voice. But any news article should be scrubbed free of such bias, and in years past, it would have been.
Please explain to me how this article is the unbiased reporting of news.
Thank you,
Brian Kirwin
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Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...entrenched on the right as a member of the Establishment, proudly tattooed member of the Republican Party, bartender by trade serving both sides the libations needed to continue the debate and discourse. College student, ten years late, majoring in Public Policy and Administration with an eye to serving the conservative and Republican movement in the public or private sector. ducit amor patriae You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com. You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com.
Comments
41 Responses to "[Updated]Virginian-Pilot Encourages Readers: VOTE DEMOCRAT OR ELSE!!; Pilot Responds"
And that’s not an editorial, DJ. The article you cite is a NEWS article.
That article is 100% opinion.
The Pilot doesn’t like when we criticize them, and their editor doesn’t like going on TV with me, either (notice he seems to have a scheduling conflict when I’m scheduled but he just seems to make it work with other guests on?).
It’s sad.
In another article in the Pilot, they made the claim that “hundreds” of protestors gathered in support of Wisconsin public employees in Richmond.
You saw that video posted by Shaun, right? Didn’t appear to be a very massive gathering.
I heard reports of 250 people…and, I suppose that is “hundreds”…but it’s an average number for many events that occur in Richmond.
Just two weeks ago there was a National Academy of Sciences meeting about the future of Uranium mining in Virginia that I attended – something that will actually affect Hampton Roads.
It had hundreds of people attend it too…but did the Pilot cover it with the same breathless zeal?
I think you already know the answer.
Frankly, I’ve canceled my subscription to the Pilot. Why get a paper that provides only has a fraction of the coverage I need when I can get the full breadth by reading the Daily Press, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Washington Post online?
It’s a shame, because the editors and writers are generally nice people…but they simply cannot disguise their biases, which means I don’t need a hardcopy from them for the “news.”
I suggest you stop crying about the VP. I don’t hear them crying because you run a republican blog… They have a business to run just as you do.
I stopped getting the newspaper years ago as I felt my objections had more of an impact if I withdrew my support. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Same applies to BD.
Fine guys, I get it; you simply believe every Virginian wants republicans to have free rein. Problem is, Governor Walker and the House Republicans have demonstrated so well what happens in that case. After the last election, about the economy and the creation of jobs, that mandate has been totally forgotten in favor of the far right’s social and cultural agenda. Now, for you, that’s fine; for millions of others, that is near disaster. Those of us who support a centrist agenda, quality growth in jobs and the economy, respect for human rights, moderation in social and cultural affairs, the republicans have shown all too well what they will do if left unchecked. Thank you Governor Walker for demonstrating all so well what your priorities really are.
The difference, my dear William, is we have never claimed to be providing you unbiased information and we make no lofty claims of being the 4th branch of government, sworn to keep government in check.
Of course, perhaps we are the 5th branch attempting to keep our friends in the media on the straight and narrow…otherwise, they can just come out the closet and become new media like the rest of us. That’s fine too.
However, hypocrisy, no matter how one wants to deal with it is not acceptable.
Like you, I have also canceled my subscription…I also have chosen to voice my disappointment here.
Mike…as ususal, you miss the point of the post and your comment went off into left field.
This article could have read positively for the GOP and I still would have had a problem with it.
Bias does not belong in news! Column, op-ed, editorial, fine. News? No way.
I’m also growing weary of your trolling. My finger’s on the kill-switch.
Actually J.R., please point out one thing in the story that is not factual. It is absolutely true that if republicans were to gain a majority in both Houses, and hold the Governorhsip, that they could essentially do anything they wanted, free of any restraint from those who do not agree with them. Do you think we Virginians are so delusional that we don’t know about the tyranny of the majority? Don’t you think that the republican led House of Representatives, Governor Walker, and Mr. Cantor have demonstrated the exact point made in the article? If any citizen does not agree with McDonnell, Howell, and the anti tax republicans, isn’t it important as a matter of fact to vote that way in the next election?
Mike, when you agree with an opinion, that doesn’t make it a fact.
I had this problem with newspaper reporters before who would write things like “the highly-partisan House of Delegates.”
Compared to what? Regardless, that descriptive is an opinion. That’s not news.
As far as this article:
Senate as a floodgate? Funny, when Democrats kill legislation they are a floodgate, but Republicans killing bills are “the Party of No.”
Do you think Sizemore is going to write an article about numerous bills the Senate passed that were defeated in the House? Will he call the House a “floodgate?”
Coupling his opinion of how the Senate stopped Republican bills and urging people to vote in November to keep the “floodgate” secure is way across the line for news.
“…the tyranny of the majority?”
Really?
And this article is surprising in what way???
Wait – that was in a real newspaper?
That reads like a Blue Virginia blog post, but with better spelling.
Grow up Brian; nothing said in that article is inaccurate nor judgemental. The Senate Democrats have acted to hold back the social conservatism of the House of Delegates. That is a fact, not an opinion. If the Republicans were to control both chambers and the Governorship as well, they could essentially pass anything they wanted. Isn’t that true? It would be true if it were the other way around as well. I would stop with the hissy fit; your partisanship is showing.
I think the bias is even obvious to those who seem to be having trouble seeing it if you just change every instance of “Republican” to “Democrat”, etc.
Let’s read it again with some minor changes.
//EDIT//
Think your vote in Va.’s elections doesn’t matter? Think again.
12:00 am – This fall, a turnover of as few as two seats in the 40-seat Virginia Senate would shift control to the Democrats, who now control the House and occupy all three state executive offices.
Under Republican control, the Senate has served as a floodgate blocking a steady stream of liberal initiatives emanating from the House of Delegates, where Democrats enjoy a comfortable majority.
A shift of power in the Senate this fall – reinforced by Democrats who now occupy all three state executive offices – would give the Democrats free rein to turn its agenda into state law.
//END EDIT//
It’s obviously biased, and any Democrat would think so if it had been written as above, they would assume that it had been written by Fox News. When something like that is written in a paper slanted towards Democrats nobody even seems to notice the bias because it happens so often.
Actually, Mike, deeming it ‘social conservatism’, which is exactly what the VP did, is opinion, not fact.
If this article isn’t slanted, as you ridiculously claim, why isn’t the bills passed by Senate and died in the House on there? Why is this all about the House?
Floodgates. Agenda. Think your vote doesn’t matter? Think again.
This isn’t news. This is opinion.
The Pilot admitted as much in response this morning:
From: Denis Finley
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 8:50 AM
To: brian@rourkpr.com ; Maria Carrillo
Cc: Denise Bridges
Subject: Re: Formal complaint
Unfortunately, I agree with you, Brian.
While I’ve worked hard to keep opinion and bias out of news articles, the occasional slanted piece gets through. It should never happen, but it does.
Thankfully, it’s rare, because it ticks me off.
Thanks for the note.
Denis Finley
Denis Finley
Editor
The Virginian-Pilot
150 W. Brambleton Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-446-2321
denis.finley@pilotonline.com
Kudos to Brian Kirwin for his call out and kudos to Denis Finley for his response!
Sorry, Mike. The Virginian-Pilot disagrees with your defense.
There also the fact that the Senate “served as floodgate” to kill some of the more controversial House bills even when the Senate was controlled by Republicans.
We had longer budget standoffs, for instance, when the GOP controlled both chambers than we’ve had with each party controlling a chamber.
Mike, those of us who are grown ups can recognize biased reporting when we see it. It takes an adult to be able to admit it, though.
Thanks Brian, but the Pilot does not speak for me. I respect Finley’s opinion, but I don’t agree with it. Further, I hope more Virginians realize that divided government has its advantages and its protections.
Mike,
You make me laugh. Leave it to you to take a perfectly good example of media bias and spin it into a discussion about the actual merits of the article.
Who cares?!
The Pilot was biased. The Pilot admitted it. Let’s keep opinion out of the news. It’s called “journalism.”
You’re talking “apples” and we’re talking “oranges.”
Quite frankly, in some degree, particularly at the federal level, I agree with you. It’s nice to see what House Republicans are doing to the Democratic agenda.
Well, I was wrong. The Pilot did cover the uranium thing…I just didn’t see them there:
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/02/panel-weighs-lifting-ban-uranium-mining-virginia
Mike really is the lunatic fringe. The Pilot and Bearing Drift agree, but Mike does not.
Wonder where Mike’s “Eden” is?
Thanks Brian; another inane quip. At least you are reverting to form. After complaining that the Pilot’s guys snub you all the time, now they are your best friend. Hint; don’t count on it for long.
Game, set, and match to Bearing Drift!
The Pilot’s publisher is a friend and classmate of mine from Hampden-Sydney. He’s no moonbat, but he did work in the Clinton Administration. I suspect the preferences there start at the top. Not a criticism; just an observation.
Brian,
I dont know where Mike’s will go, but hopefully there’s enough parking…
“I hope more Virginians realize that divided government has its advantages and its protections.”
Mike,
I take it then that you voted Republican last November to help ensure the advantages and protections of divided government, or is divided government only a good thing when it is the best deal that the liberals can get?
It is hard for anyone to take you seriously when you are so transparently hypocritical. No wonder everyone else on this blog thinks that you’re a whack job. I applaud the Bearing Drift contributors for tolerating your bullshit. The liberal blogs would ban you in a New York minute for your asinine insults alone.
Mike,
The House of Delegates is socially conservative? Besides Bob Marshall, who regularly is pushing social conservatism there?
BD,
Know how you feel. After excerpting Avenging Archangel 21 times, The V-P has gone silent. Even where posts dovetail with their editorial line. Go figure.
Henry: Look at the statistics for your blog. Few ever read it let alone visit the site. Can’t blame the VP for ignoring your blog. Sorry but the numbers are the real reason.
And for the readers who get the VP newspaper, did you ever stop to consider this print “bias” a stunt to create interest, letters to the editor or simple buzz? In today’s media, I do not put anything past them.
Just saying…
JR, I’ve often wanted to cancel my subscription to the Virginian Pilot because of their extreme left wing antics, however, I believe it’s important to know what the wayward crowd says so you can speak the truth beyond their words. If every conservative in Hampton Roads canceled their subscription to the Virginian Pilot they would go out of business. What conservative newspaper would replace them?
Kathy,
That’s why I use the online edition. The only thing I’m missing is editorials, and for that apparently I just need to read their ‘news’
William,
It’s not the quantity, but the quality. The people who have cited it back to me are a virtual “who’s who”. There’s information on there you won’t find anywhere else on the Internet.
So why have my recent posts earned the universal condemnation of the power elite on Bearing Drift? Certainly not the content of the posts which may present a minority view, but are well within the mainstream. No, it is the perception by the politically astute on this forum that in fact, overreaching by the republican majority is indeed a threat to the Party in the next election. Having suddenly forgotten the loud and clear message of the last election, all of a sudden the right wing fringe is focusing on abortion, union busting, getting rid of Planned Parenthood, defunding health care, and cutting jobs so deep that governors are warning about states going back into recession. Those who look ahead to the next election know that the middle can shift dramatically, and frankly, Governor Walker is the poster child for overreaching.
Mike, I for one think that everything you stand for is overreaching. Abortion, (taking the life of a person who has no say so whatsoever whether they get to live or die), unions, ( incredible costs per employee for companies, do you think maybe that’s why so many jobs have left America?), Planned Parenthood, (we get to pay for abortions, whether we believe in them or not), health care bill, (yes, we need reform, but not the way it’s outlined in this bill), and I don’t know where you get off about cutting jobs unless it’s tax payer funded jobs. How can we cut the deficit if we increase government spending on federal jobs. Our country was built on small business, we need to get back to that.
Mike, no one on Bearing Drift views you and your comments as some kind of barometer of the greater pulse of the average Joe in Virginia or the nation as a whole. You’re one guy with an opinion and an agenda.
The overarching story that the American people are seeing is a Republican party that was elected to cut spending actually demanding – and getting – spending cuts. They are seeing a Republican party that was elected out of voter angst over the Health Care law actively working to fix it – either by defunding or through repeals, like the 1099 repeal that passed the Senate and is expected to pass the House today.
I won’t disagree with you that Walker is overreaching, but he’s one governor – the vast majority of the party, particularly the ones in Congress, are focused on cutting spending. That’s what they were elected to do.
Well Brian, I never suggested my remarks represent a barometer, but I think the election of Governor McDonnell, and his actions to date, are demonstrative of my point that the zealots on the right, if left to their devices, will always own defeat. McDonnell to me would repesent the model of sticking to ones principles, but going out of his way to avoid too many pokes in the eye of the opposition, and focusing on job creation. Fact is, the budget shortfall that Wisconsin has to deal with is much less than we faced, and we dealth with it, and now spending is actually going up. Use him as your model, not Walker or the radicals in the tea party in Congress.
Thank you, Mr. Kirwin and Mr. Spiker, for calling our attention to this! Otherwise, I and others would’ve missed it. Well done, both of you!!
Mike, on that we can agree. Bob McDonnell is definitely my model for a Republican Governor.
Yes, and he would be my model for a Virginia Governor is he had been able to match his transportation initiative with a source of funds to pay for it instead of attempting to use general funds to pay transportation debt.
Someone better frame Mike B.’s praise for Gov McDonnell because in the next post he will be part of the hordes of Attila. Come to think of it all Mike’s previous posts about McDonnell compared him to a lying thievin cattle rustler. Of course he only praises one to condemn another. Another post hijacked by MB for his fact free diatribes. Perhaps he could be assigned a separate space on Bearing Drift where his rants would be numbered. He selects a number for a post and anyone interested can refer to the glossary and his collected “contributions”.
Nailed it, Val.
I have great personal respect for Governor McDonnell although I frequently disagree with his policy recommendations. I do not believe I have ever been disrespectful to him in my comments on Bearing Drift. You saying so does not make it so. Further, he has made attempts to reach out to leaders of the other party, while that cannot be said about the Speaker of the House. Fact is, I would not use the term overreach in the case of our Governor like I would with Governor Walker.
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