Thursday, June 03, 2010

Frontiersman editor feels regret for writing thinly veiled threat against Joe McGinniss.

This showed up at the bottom of that infamous editorial from the Frontiersman:

Editor's Note: While you don’t see my name at the bottom of our editorials, I routinely write them, and I wrote the one that ran Saturday – the one about Joe McGinnis and the Palins’ new fence.

In an effort to find a catchy ending, I was a bit too creative with the last paragraph. If I had it to do over again, I would have left off the last sentence of the editorial. It doesn’t add to my point, which was that there is nothing particularly newsworthy about someone moving in next door nor about a new fence going up to protect the privacy of neighbors.

I certainly did not mean to suggest that McGinnis would or should be the victim of violence. For that matter, I didn’t mean to suggest the Palins would do such a thing.

All of which points to the power of words. I misused them on Saturday. I’ll try to have more respect for that power next time around.

If this is supposed to be an apology it is too little and too late. 

And if it is supposed to serve as an explanation then it is woefully inadequate as well.

I would think that the editor of a newspaper, even one focused on such Pulitzer prize winning subjects as "Is an outdoor shooting range within city limits really a good idea?" and "Understanding how God makes a saint", would already have determined the "power of words".

Well anyhow I guess this "editor" decided after two days of being bombarded with letters and e-mails asking "Just how stupid are you?" and "Do you have a lawyer ready when you are named as an accomplice in the death of Mr. McGinniss?" this clown FINALLY decided to say something on the record to diffuse the situation. Oooh what quick journalistic reflexes you have!

You know buddy the next time you accidentally start a fire, perhaps you should start pissing on it BEFORE it spreads to the nearby woods and then blazes out of control across the country.  Just a thought.

19 comments:

  1. Gryphen, I agree, the dude should have thought before writing, but at least he has the sense to apologize, and to admit his mistake. That's a lot more than most, eh?
    The power of words....he found out. Why can't others find the same lesson? We are being riled up and soothed down every day, to what end? The enrichment of the Few, that's what end.
    Let's spotlight this man's apology and hammer it as hard as we hammer all the ugliness. Let's demand that others admit their folly, as he did. Let's make an example of him; hold him up as the face of the right was to handle a mistake.
    You apologize, and then you move on, vowing not to be so foolish ever again.
    I'd say the dude got "palinized", just be being in her vicinity.

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  2. I bet $arah is pissed and that is OK with me!

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  3. Anonymous6:14 AM

    Gryphen, I agree with you "it's too little, too late". IMO, he didn't "accidentally start a fire", he did it on purpose to kiss up to the Queen and it backfired on him. If it was truly an accident like he says, then I say that he must have gone to the same journalism school that Palin attended. He should be fired but I don't expect that to happen.

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  4. imnofred6:26 AM

    At least he apologized. Sarah has done NOTHING to ask her supporters to tone down the rhetoric, threats of violence, and death threats towards Joe McGinniss.

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  5. Ratfish6:33 AM

    The editor must be related to the Palin/Heath Klan.

    Say something hateful, spiteful, and/or inciting.

    Then say you didn't mean it. Let the genie out of the bottle, and then try to stuff it back in.

    Too late.

    On the other hand, he may not be related to the Klan. Do you recall one of them apologizing- for anything? Ever? Bridge to Nowhere? Lies about private e-mails? The elopement story being a cover for being knocked up? Firing Monegan? Anything?

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  6. Anonymous6:38 AM

    Re: Frontiersman: Journalism: 0 / Jerknalism: 1

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  7. I'm sick of apologies. Not all of the public has been dumbed down.

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  8. Anonymous6:55 AM

    absolutely brain dead editor...

    stay safe Joe... there are idiots in this world.

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  9. Anonymous7:05 AM

    I do not see any apology in there to JM. It is more a rationalization "too creative," "oops, didn't think."

    He or she even misspelled Joe's last name. What kind of journalist trying to fix a good wouldn't proof more carefully. The editor seems as self-absorbed as Sarah.

    The closest he or she came to an apology was admitting (or claiming) that no harm was intended to Joe or to the Palins' reputation (as if that were stellar, which it isn't).

    Sorry, not enough close enough to offer a cigar. I bet the FBI visit and the national criticism probably did more to elicit this half-ass apology than any journalistic rethink of the power of words.

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  10. Anonymous7:15 AM

    The explanation / apology does not match what he originally said. It is like he was told to apologize and came up with an explanation he thinks we are going to buy. It is not sincere and not accepted. Go back to your room and think about what you did and come back when you really want to tell us why you did it.... like you are a Palin fan and you thought the rest of Wasilla agrees with you and now you know we don't!

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  11. Anonymous7:26 AM

    When are they going to print Palin's apology for starting this entire mess?

    Sarah learn from President Obama, you may have a disagreement with somebody, the only way to resolve it is to talk to the other person. That is what you call being presidential... being an adult ... not being a school yard hill bully..

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  12. I agree that apologies come cheap, but remember, he has to live with the consequences of his original mistake, and the resulting consequences of his follow-up. I wouldn't want to be him.

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  13. Anonymous8:22 AM

    Where to start, with that editorial.... It was completely wrong-headed, could still lead to violence, and shows a complete disrespect for journalistic integrity. Rather than the 'required apology', someone needs to lose their job. If violence does come from this, someone from the paper will need to go to jail.

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  14. Anonymous8:35 AM

    I give him some credit for retracting his words. That's something Sarah would NEVER do.

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  15. That isn't an apology at all. I do not see the words "I am sorry" or "I apologize" in the editor's comment.

    That is a "crap, the police are pissed!". That is a "damn, I thought people would think that was funny and not serious". That is a "crap, way too many people are writing in about using weapons". That is a "crap, I made the paper look nutters in front of the entire world". That is a "crap, the national media is going to come sniffing around and I just told the entire world that Palin could legally shoot a journalist". That is a pseudoapology used to cover the paper's ass from legal action.

    If the editor was truly sorry, he would say so rather than rationalizing his previous comment.

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  16. Anonymous9:08 AM

    Palin is where she is today because of a thousand little ooopsies from so called journalists, editorials and publications. I think the people at the Frontiersman are particularly pathetic, disingenuous and full of crap.

    429 comment(s) FRONTIERSMAN: Kari Sleight wrote on Jun 1, 2010 3:23 PM:
    " Comments on this editorial have been suspended.
    We have received many, many comments on this particular editorial, most of which are repetitive and do not add value to a healthy discussion or debate. "

    They edited out a few comments and cut it off. How can we thank them for all they did over the years to unleash their pariah on the world stage ?

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  17. Did the Frontiersman correct the record about the big energy battles in Pipe Dreams or are they continuing to misdirect their readers? Pipe Dreams by Joe McGinniss Mar 17 2009
    Editor's Note: On July 26, Sarah Palin resigned as Alaska governor, citing concerns that ongoing ethical investigations and her decision not to seek a second term would limit her effectiveness in office. What she did (or didn't do) to promote the development of a $40 billion gas pipeline will be a crucial part of her short history in office. This story, which was first published on March 17, delved into the long and complicated history of a pipeline that doesn't exist.


    Is it only coincidence that AIP Todd Palin is one and the same as damage control BP liars? They are all despicable low life vermin and have no shame about shilling for BIG OIL.

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  18. The old CYA technique12:18 PM

    Skanks like the palins never apologize. I don't call what Tom Mitchell and Kari Sleight did an apology. I call it CYA, COVER YOUR ASS TECHNIQUE. Scarah is the one that documented her smear campaign,

    "Wonder what kind of material he’ll gather while overlooking Piper’s bedroom, my little garden, and the family’s swimming hole?' Monday, May 24, 2010 at 10:17pm: Just When Ya Think It Can’t Get Any More “Interesting”... Welcome, Neighbor!
    Who thinks it is some kind of coincidence that the rest of the Palinheads were screaming all over the internet and media with memes like "pedophile" ~ "stalker" ~ "creep" ~ "pervert" ???

    Along with the entities like Frontiersman and Fox you can thank the social networks and businesses that have low standards and set up the 'grassroot' armies to push that moosecrap against a professional writer (not to leave out citizens like the Johnstons who have 'grassroot' armies out to intimidate and smear them)..."public policy and public relations battles by combining the power of the Internet with the strategy and discipline of political campaigns, tapping social networks and building grassroots armies."

    Featured on CNN's Situation Room
    Tuesday at 11:42am Is It Any Wonder Why We Call Them “Lame”?
    "Todd and I both crafted the statement very carefully because our new neighbor has taken to accusing us of “inciting hatred” – a charge which we obviously take very seriously....
    I’m not sure what “ugly innuendo” was in my Facebook post..." Not sure? Not sure about the “ugly innuendo” and how half of the world could run with the creepy, stalker, pedophile meme ? ? ? ? ? It' all about the technique. Sarah Palin's Twitter experts.

    Slatecard is guided by a Board of Directors who play a critical role in determining how the non-earmarked funds of the site should be spent and offer suggestions to help improve the utility for candidates, committees, bloggers, and activists.

    Joe Mansour (credentialed blogger) is one of the leading minds when it comes to global interactive media strategy.

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  19. Anonymous1:28 PM

    The Frontiersman and Frontierswoman are full of it. First they were calling their atrocity "humorous." That was to be an attempt at humor? You know real funny to further egg on the local crazies.

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