CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cincinnati Enquirer's political blog is just now reporting that OH-02 U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt has penned a good-bye column for departing White House Budget Director Rob Portman. The Daily Bellwether had the same story six days ago. The Bellwether even linked to another OH-02 newspaper that printed Schmidt's column -- which really proves the Cincy metro daily can be asleep at the wheel when it comes to political news.
Here's what is now appearing on the Gannett-owned daily's blog. Notice that there is no analysis, comment, or anything other than a straight disgorgement of the Republican congresswoman's remarks. Notice that the Bellwether reported that Schmidt -- who succeeded Portman to the House seat -- said she cannot fill Portman's shoes. Notice that the Enquirer somehow failed to point that out.
Journalism is reporting news. Flackery is hustling publicity for a person, place, or company. Today the Enquirer appears to have confused its role as a journalistic enterprise with that of a press agent. That shouldn't be an easy mistake to make.
I suspect that they received the same email that I did because I published that column today as well...
ReplyDeleteI think this says as much about Schmidt's staff as an ything else...
Sloat was right. That was in the Whhistelblower, the community press and the Chillicothe paper. Enquirer owns community press and Chillicothe. Wrong to blame Schmidt staff.
ReplyDeleteThe Enquirer is a joke. They had the Schmidt bogus college degree story a week before 700WLW broke the news, and they sat on it.
ReplyDeleteThen the Big One confirmed it in less than 15 minutes, and the next day's Enquirer ran interference for her with headline claiming she "had the hours, if not the parchment" - a conclusion reached solely on the word of Schmidt's chief of staff.
There are some accounts of her being as many as 40 hours short, and the Clermont Sun has proof she's made the bogus claim for 16 years, yet still the Enquirer ignores it.
CEO's and football coaches get fired for the same thing, Schmidt gets a pass from the Enquirer.
If that is not political hackery, I don't know what is.