"[K]ey bit of context" Sac. Bee public editor accused Media Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:08:05 -0500

"[K]ey bit of context" Sac. Bee public editor accused Media Matters of omitting was in original item -- in bold

http://mediamatters.org/items/200712100002

In his December 9 column, Sacramento Bee public editor Armando Acuna criticized Media Matters for America for a December 5 item on the Bee's December 4 article reporting on the controversial Republican-backed California ballot initiative that would award the state's electoral votes by congressional district. Acuna wrote: "The Bee was deficient, according to Media Matters, for saying in the page A3 story that 'Republicans behind the initiative said it would force presidential candidates to visit California more often and give more voters a voice in the presidential outcome.' " He added: "True, that's what the story said. But there's a key bit of context missing; the previous sentence in the two-sentence paragraph says: 'Democrats have charged that the initiative is a ploy to ensure Republicans obtain 20 or more electoral votes in California, a state no GOP presidential candidate has won since George H.W. Bush in 1988.' " But, the sentence that Acuna suggested was missing from the Media Matters item was in fact included -- in boldface for emphasis -- in the excerpt from the Bee's December 4 article that Media Matters included in its item.

From Acuna's December 9 column:

The Bee was deficient, according to Media Matters, for saying in the page A3 story that "Republicans behind the initiative said it would force presidential candidates to visit California more often and give more voters a voice in the presidential outcome."

True, that's what the story said. But there's a key bit of context missing; the previous sentence in the two-sentence paragraph says:

"Democrats have charged that the initiative is a ploy to ensure Republicans obtain 20 or more electoral votes in California, a state no GOP presidential candidate has won since George H.W. Bush in 1988."

That may not fit Media Matters' political agenda, but it is far from an uncritical look in a story that was focused on the initiative possibly not qualifying for the June ballot.

From Media Matters' December 5 item [emphasis in original]:

From the December 4 Sacramento Bee article:

Republican political consultant Dave Gilliard, who is spearheading the Electoral College initiative effort, has insisted for the past month that local elections officials could speed up the random counting process so the initiative could qualify for the June election by a Jan. 24 state deadline.

But such an assumption may be unreasonable because county registrars already have committed workers to prepare for the Feb. 5 election, said Stephen Weir, registrar of voters in Contra Costa County and president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials.

Counties are slammed with duties that include mailing ballots to overseas voters, preparing ballot guides, training poll workers and gearing up for absentee voting that begins Jan. 7. At the same time, many county election offices are juggling staff vacation time around the holidays.

"They're risking it, honestly," Weir said of Gilliard's initiative effort. "They're risking it. They're up against a tidal wave of programming. ... You can't miss deadlines when you have a live election going."

Democrats have charged that the initiative is a ploy to ensure Republicans obtain 20 or more electoral votes in California, a state no GOP presidential candidate has won since George H.W. Bush in 1988. But Republicans behind the initiative said it would force presidential candidates to visit California more often and give more voters a voice in the presidential outcome.

Gilliard and other GOP consultants took over the initiative drive in late October after earlier proponents abandoned the proposal due to a lack of funding and a questionable donation received from a Rudy Giuliani supporter.

Contact:
Sacramento Bee

E-mail: publiceditor@sacbee.com

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