The very liberal GJ Sentinel is attempting to apply (more: ) Ray Scott tweeted: We have our own fake news in Grand Junction. To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu Scott Gessler is the former Colorado Secretary of State and a Denver attorney. So make it good, and stand on the quality of your work. Newspapers sell a product - information, entertainment, and opinion. Regardless, here are three good rules for newspaper publishers: Stop the sanctimonious bleating about “fake news ” no more whining about incoming criticism and comparisons to dictators and threats about lawsuits only make you look foolish. Fake news? Holding a public official accountable? You decide. ![]() I still joke about a minor thing - when a car on the wrong side of Interstate-70 nearly hit me head-on, I told The Sentinel the car was “teal.” They reported it as “blue,” which contradicted the police report of “green.” (The color teal, by the way, is blue-green.) More broadly, their Capitol reporting was consistently biased, inaccurate, just a muddled mess. Is The Sentinel fake news? Well, I empathize with Scott the Sentinel always treated me poorly. And from this give-and-take, accusation and counter-accusation, comes real honor Benjamin Franklin’s grandson ran a newspaper and went to jail for criticizing President John Adams. More voices mean a more vibrant discussion, and we want companies (like newspapers) and individuals (like politicians or community critics) to spend time investigating and opining about public policy. It means the ability to distribute and publish ideas by paper, or twitter, or even old-fashioned web sites and email. Yes, it protects “the Press,” but that means far more than dry ink on white paper. More than before, traditional newspapers must rely on quality reporting and thoughtful ideas, and face scrutiny from a public no longer cowed by powerful newspaper corporations.Īnd about that First Amendment? Well, it doesn’t shield newspapers or anyone else from criticism, and it applies to everyone equally. Profits from classified ads are gone, and alternative news sources compete on a daily basis. Seaton comes from this newspaper baron tradition - his family installed him as publisher when it bought The Sentinel - but newspapers no longer have an information monopoly. All while using the First Amendment to shield themselves from any criticism. Newspapers even claimed objectivity, but in fact newspaper barons ran their papers as personal fiefdoms, using their considerable influence to shape politics and policy as they saw fit. No amount of criticism against editorials or skewed coverage could dent that profit machine. Oh well, the entertainment had to end sometime.Ī harder truth is that not so long ago, publishers were impervious to criticism classified ads drove profitability and sports pages drove subscriptions. He claimed that Scott had legislative immunity (wrong), that the state would have to foot Scott’s legal bills (wrong again), and that he couldn’t bear to waste taxpayers money (how noble). It was a childish threat, and Seaton quickly beat a hasty retreat. Bemoaning that Scott attempted to “diminish” him, he compared the local politician to Syrian dictator Assad (the guy that nerve-gassed and cluster-bombed his people), and then pledged to sue for defamation. This sent the newspapers’ publisher, Jay Seaton over the edge. Channeling his inner Trump, Scott then tweeted that the Sentinel was “fake news.” Ray Scott for delaying a hearing on an open records bill. ![]() The Sentinel sharply criticized State Sen. This ridiculous story grows out of the mundane. They’re just part of the cacophony, having to defend their opinions just like everyone else. No longer do they stand as immortals on high, handing down judgment from above. But his over-the-top response revealed a deeper truth it’s been a long, hard fall for newspaper publishers. When accused of “fake news,” the boss of Grand Junction Sentinel went completely bonkers. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu
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