Florida Sun-Sentinal reporter replies to complaint. INCREDIBLE!

In response to this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1150236#1155330

I sent this email to the Brittany Wallman, Sun-Sentinal "reporter":

Subject: Brittney, you've been conned.

Brittney,

At least I hope you were conned when you reported bulling at polling places by Democrats against Republicans in your story Early voting brings cries of bulling. Certainly you didn't know that the people complaining were professionals at planting this type of story, did you? If you want your stories to seem credible do a search of "victims" names at some point before publication and only use the plants who haven't given the same type of story before or aren't party hacks, at least that way you can pretend to have no bias. If you had done such a search you would have turned up stories like these http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/111300/new_Campaigns.html and http://uk.fc.yahoo.com/041018/46/f4ssa.html The phrase that fits is plausible deniability, you don't have that with this piece of fiction. As things stand now your piece is worthy of the propaganda pieces found in closed societies all over the world.

Sincerely,

Name


Who knows what it would take to convince her that she was had, likely she doesn't care. Here's her response:

i have gotten a few emails from folks saying that the people complaining are GOP activists. To me, that does not mean that their complaints have no merit. To the contrary, I would actually expect an activist to be more sensitive to the issue, more knowledgeable about their rights, and more savvy about the process. So ... this doesn't surprise me, but it doesn't change my story in any way. i can assure you that i have gotten a LOT of similar complaints, including five minutes ago from a colleague who went to vote. the democrats agreed there is an issue w/ the early voting law, and that they, too, support the idea of extending the 50 foot limit to early voting.
brittany

Aside from the fact that "gotten" is sixth grade usage, Brittney doesn't understand that the people who contact her may have their own agenda. Maybe she could go out herself to find what is actually going on, since it is at least possible that an activist's view is not objective. At very least as a reporter she must include the pertinent fact that the "victims" of the professed harassment are also Republican activists who themselves have carried signs to intimidate voters, as the photograph indicates.



She must be the publisher's niece, even your typical biased Republican reporter could come up with an excuse better than her reply.

The text of the original DU post:

this sounds like another Rovian production to me (i.e. trying to establish a basis for contesting the election results) . . . apparently these people will stop at nothing . . .

By Brittany Wallman
Sun-Sentinal
October 23, 2004

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pg...

(snip)

Elaine Fandino complained to the Republican Party that she took her mother to vote on South Military Trail in Palm Beach County and was confronted by 25 people supporting John Kerry for president. The crowd was "very angry and used foul language," she reported. She said the man next to her said, "Where's my shotgun?"

In Broward County, at the regional library in Pembroke Pines, a voter complained that Kerry supporters used abusive language about President Bush and had signs and banners within 50 feet of the entrance.

Kerry supporters were "shoving anti-Bush propaganda at us," complained the voter, who said he shouted back "Vote President Bush!"

A woman who voted in Plantation at the West Regional Courthouse said she was offended to see five or six people with "huge stick on badges" for Kerry/Edwards, standing near the voting machines.

(snip)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pg...

just checking out the dour faces on the two ladies in your pic.

of present-day journalism. Which we should re-name in honor of the noe-journos. We changed 'reporter' to 'anchor' years ago to describe news-readers. What shall we call news-cut~n~pasters?

Thanks