Sacramento Bee editor puts pro-Bush letters 'to the top of the list'

[Newsjock]

http://www.sacbee.com/acuna/story/237234.html

How rare is it these days for a reader to write a letter to the paper supporting President George W. Bush?

Well, visualize quietly efficient editorial workers diligently digging through the hundreds of e-mails, letters, faxes and online offerings submitted by The Bee's readers each week.

Days and days go by until, finally, one suddenly appears, like a glimmering gold nugget in a clear Sierra stream: a letter praising the president.

Eureka!

It brings a smile to Bill Moore's face, not to mention a sense of relief.

Moore is the paper's letters editor. He has the task of selecting the eight to 10 readers' letters published on the editorial pages most days.

... "We'd love to put pro-Bush letters in," he said. "If a letter like that comes in, it goes to the top of the list. I make a big deal about it.

[krispos42]

1. Lame to the nth degree

Bill Moore needs to get Rove's arm out of his ass

[Richard Steele]

2. Another shining example of our "Liberal Media" at work.

:puke:

[Phredicles]

3. As always, righties LOVE affirmative action when it benefits them.

It's nice to see what I'd long suspected about a lot of letters pages spelled out, though.:eyes:

[David__77]

4. Makes me want to write a "pro-Bush letter."

You know, one that more fully exposes the fascist agenda of the right. I'm pretty skilled in pretending to be a right-winger, albeit one that is hamhanded and anathema to the vast majority.

[IChing]

5. Interesting mathmatics

One question is whether the paper should try and balance the number of letters for and against Bush.

While there are arguments favoring a one-for-one scorecard approach, Holwerk said such a system is unfair to readers, and he doesn't use it.

It also neglects reality and would create a false and misleading premise, that there are roughly equal numbers of readers submitting opinions both for and against the president and his administration.

What the paper strives to do over time, Holwerk explained, is give a fair representation of readers' views, "but we never do a count, for or against; it doesn't work that way."

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

8. I think we were the only two that read that part. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

11. How about this statement

"A badly written letter in favor of Bush is more likely to get into the paper than a badly written letter on another topic," said Holwerk.

If they complied with the wishes of the complainers and published more letters supporting Bush that would be great!!! LOL Just think how many more of them would be from wackos.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

12. Shall we write some badly written pro dumbya LTTE?

Just to show what fucking maroons his supporters really are? :evilgrin:

[angstlessk]

10. Just like C-Span did on Wash. Journal...'for pres boosh'...an entire line

devoted to people who loved boosh...many republicans would call on that line and be anti boosh...but their only other choice was democrat or independent..and they were basically let out of the equasion..and SAID SO MANY TIMES!

[Ian David]

6. There is a fun game to be played there if one has a sense of humor and no scruples.

Sincerely,

Dick Pinch
Clear Lake, Iowa.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. Interesting article. I can actually see the dilemma.

Thanks for posting.

[AlCzervik]

9. the bee is my hometown paper and i read it everyday, it is rare to see a pro-bush letter

and when you do it is almost always from Placer or Eldorado county. This was not the case a few years, there were many pro Bush supporters writing in.