The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Neutral Objective Journalism

Posted on | March 24, 2012 | 6 Comments

CENTRAL, Louisiana
You remember the Harris sisters, who sing the Rick Santorum campaign song “Game On”? Tonight I’m staying at the home of David, the guy who hosted the Harris sisters for three days during their tour of Louisiana. David is a pro-life Catholic and Marine veteran who says he “got roped into” the Santorum campaign by Lisa Graas.

So we have that in common. And David is also something of a raconteur and a bon vivant. We have hit it off splendidly, and I’ll tell you the tale of our adventures later, but right now — full of good-hearted cheer, thanks to David’s excellent hospitality — I want to commend to your attention the front page of the March 13 edition of the Central City News:

(Click the image to enlarge.)

Alert the Pulitzer Prize Committee to accept no more nominations because, ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner:

Fresh off Presidential Primary victories in Alabama and Mississippi, former Sen. Rick Santorum will bring his campaign to Central this Sunday.
Santorum will speak at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 18 at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, 19421 Greenwell Springs Rd. Former Rep. Tony Perkins said the general public is invited to attend and participate in the event.
Santorum will be here to promote his candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination in the Louisiana Presidential Primary on Saturday, March 24. Registered Republicans will go to their regular voting precincts that day and choose from among Santorum and three other candidates — former Gov. Mitt Romney, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Congressman Ron Paul. Republicans will also vote on candidates for the Republican State Central Committee and Republican Parish Executive Committee, which govern the state and local parties.
Democratic voters will choose between President Obama and several lesser known candidates.
At 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Santorum will hold a fundraising event in Baton Rouge. For information on that event, call Lori Cherry at 225-328-1910. . . .

You can read the whole thing and marvel at this splendid specimen of Neutral Objective Journalism. Connoisseurs will appreciate the complete lack of implicit criticism with which journalists have been taught to report about conservative Republican politicians. Instead, in a masterful example of the “Just the Facts, Ma’am” Joe Friday style, this hometown Louisiana newspaper reports about Santorum as if he were an actual human being, whose accomplishments — including his victories in the Mississippi and Alabama primaries — are entirely praiseworthy. Liberal Democrats get this treatment all the time, but conservative Republicans, never.

Three cheers for the Central City News!

Category: Election 2012, Louisiana, Neutral Objective Journalism, Rick Santorum

Comments

6 Responses to “Neutral Objective Journalism”

  1. misslexi
    March 24th, 2012 @ 1:59 am

    Wow. As Rush would say – someone has committed a random act of journalism…..

  2. JeffS
    March 24th, 2012 @ 10:46 am

    This “Neutral Objective Journalism” ……You keep using that phrase.  I do not think it means what you think it means.

  3. richard mcenroe
    March 24th, 2012 @ 1:33 pm

    Neutral?  I thought the juxtaposition of those two headlines was brilliant!  There’s a real stealth conservative on that paper somewhere…

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