Publishing a bogus letter

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

From a local newspaper which recieved multiple form letters fron Iraq.

One of the best-read features in this newspaper is the daily compilation of letters to the editor. They represent The Herald's and every newspaper's responsibility to provide a voice to citizens and facilitate public debate.

Occasionally, though, the voice in a published letter is bogus. Such was the case with a letter we ran as a guest commentary on Sept. 6, which was supposedly from Army Sgt. Chris Shelton of Snohomish, who also happened to be the first Snohomish County soldier wounded in the Iraq war.

The piece, which spoke in support of the U.S. role in Iraq, turned out to be a form letter. Shelton may have agreed with the thoughts expressed, but he didn't write them. Weeks after publishing it, we received two identical letters with different signatures. We had been duped.

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http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/03/10/14/17613895.cfm