Lake City Reporter Gets It Wrong on the Stars & Bars: What was it thinking?
Posted August 5, 2015, 04:00 am | news/analysis (2 comments)
COLUMBIA
COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City's "hometown" newspaper
has been around a long time. It claims since 1874. The
paper's reporting of Monday night's unscheduled remarks
concerning the Stars & Bars on the Lake City logo can
only lead the inquiring mind to wonder: 'What was it
thinking?'
Tuesday afternoon, the Observer sent the publisher and editor of the Lake City Reporter three questions.
Seemingly taking their cues from City Manager Wendell Johnson and Lake Shore Hospital Authority Manager, Jack Berry, the Lake City Reporter brass of Todd Wilson and Robert Bridges, publisher and editor respectively, weren't talking.
Question One: When did the Mayor speak?
After the conclusion of Monday night's City Council meeting, Lake City Reporter's (LCR) veteran reporter, Tony Britt, interviewed Mayor Witt by the elevator. Mayor Witt's remarks were reported on page one of the newspaper as if they had occurred during the meeting. They didn't. This is a bad habit of the "hometown" newspaper, reporting things as if they had occurred during meeting, when they haven't.
The Observer asked the LCR brass: "Why doesn't your article state the quote from the Mayor occurred after the meeting?" There was no answer.
Question Two:
Are the words "yes" and "Ronald Williams" a
conversation?
On the second page of the LCR article it was reported that Bruce "Borders and Calvin Griffin spoke of the black troops from Fort White who fought for the Confederacy."
Mr. Griffin spoke maybe ten intelligible words during Mr. Border's presentation, those being "yes" and "Ronald Williams."
The Observer inquired, "How do you make the claim that Mr. Griffin spoke of Black troops when his only words were 'yes' and 'Ronald Williams?'" There was no answer.
Question Three:
"Hatred" and "Racism" added to Ms. Coker's
remarks
Question three regarded the manufacturing of remarks by community activist and SCLC local official, Bea Coker.
The LCR wrote that Ms. Coker said: "the flag is viewed as a symbol of hatred and racism throughout other parts of the country and the world and that it should be removed."
The LCR continued a paragraph away: "Coker said the unintended message of hatred now associated with the flag should not be the message attached to Lake City that the world sees in the city logo."
Question to the LCR: "Ms. Coker did not use the words hatred or racism at any time during her presentation? Why did you add them?"
The Lake City Reporter is not talking.
