Deseret News Fabricates Story
In my last post, I noted that Big Media’s stories largely are “made-up stuff or very-poorly-sourced-and-heavily-slanted stuff intended more to incite or excite than to enlighten.”
Right on cue, the Deseret News completely made up a story today. No one in Legislative leadership is talking about changing the referendum process. Here, for example, is what I last publicly said about the process. Yet, the Deseret News, um, “reports:”
Get ready for GOP legislative leaders to take on the state’s referendum law – and a big fight with Democrats who vow to protect the current system.
It’s 100% fiction. There won’t be a “big fight,” because no one is proposing a change. The D News completely made that up. Facts aren't important to Big Media. The thing that is important to veteran reporter Bob Bernick – is that there will be an election. And anything he and other cracker jack reporters can do to influence it against Republicans – including making up stories – is fair game.
Republican leadership in Utah isn’t perfect. We get some things right, and we get some things wrong. We deserve our fair share of criticism. But, completely making up stuff does a great disservice to the public and to the health of political dialogue.
Editorial board meetings are recorded. If the D News can show me where any “GOP legislative leader” said we’d “take on the state’s referendum law,” I’ll print this entry and post a YouTube video of me eating it, saying, “Bob Bernick does not make up news,” between every bite. To the contrary, you would hear legislative leaders saying the exact opposite of what the D News reports; they would hear those leaders saying that Utah has the referendum balance in the right place.
I want the recording of that editorial board meeting made public. That would be a big story – showing how Big Media completely makes up stories to fit its agenda and to influence elections. Let us hear the recording, Bob, so we can test the veracity of your stories.
I’ve put a lot of effort into trying to promote factual political dialogue concerning legislative issues, so that more people might be encouraged to participate. I’ve had enough of the “professionals” acting like they work for tabloids. No offense to tabloids.
posted by steve u. at 8/19/2008
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16 Comments:
I read this story two times on the DNews website, and suspected exactly what you are saying, Rep. Urquhart. I could not find any quote suggesting that Legislative Leadership was going to attempt to change the law.
What was there was simply legislative leaders expressing their concern, not so much with the process, but the potential for the process to be abused. Which, in my mind, is an entirely valid concern.
If I've learned one thing about Bob Bernick, it's that he never lets facts get in the way of the story. He may be the worst reporter at either of the major papers in Utah, and that is no small achievement.
Steve,
You should see if you can post a recording of that editorial board meeting. On the other hand, part of me wishes that Bernick could back up his story - I'm sure your YouTube video would be very entertaining.
The open secret on Capitol Hill is how reckless Bob Bernick is with the truth.
"Dirty Bernie" as he's called. Freshmen are warned to stay away from him. They are told that while the Trib is liberal, at least they aren't liars.
Dirty Bernie doesn't take notes; he's rude to staff; he plays favorites and has no sources other than Sheryl Allen.
Nobody can connect with the guy -- unless, of course, you happen to be making too much noise at a Jazz game, then he'll punch you in the face.
Will Bob "the champion of transparency" Bernick man up and allow us access to the recording?
Ole Bernie is in quite the predicament: he can either bury the tape and expose himself as the hypocrite he is; or, he can allow access and reveal that he is nothing more than a hack for the Democrat party.
So what'll it be, Bernie?
Check the DNews website. Updated story on the Referendum. SHOCK! It's almost like a retraction...
Is it possible that Bernick took this quote from Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble and assumed that legislation was coming.
"Monday, Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, told the Deseret News editorial board that government doesn't work best when elected representatives are constantly, and frivolously, overruled by the citizens they are elected to make decisions for."
If Bernick did make that assumption, it certainly was premature with no bills or referendums being discussed in interim committee meetings.
How I interpreted it was a shot accross the bow by Bernick in case any legislator was seriously considering a measure like that.
Just curious Steve, would you support a measure that limits the referendum process? You've indicated that no one has seriously proposed one, but is there much support for a measure of this sort among your colleagues?
I spoke too soon. In reading the most updated Desnews piece, it does appear that according to Sen. President Valentine, that there was discussion on whether to make referendums more difficult. All Sen. Valentine seems to be saying, is that the idea is being tabled for now.
Never the less, if Bernick's article was a "shot accross the bow", it seems to have worked.
Obi Wan- (That's Qui-Gonn Jin in your profile pic)
Bernick didn't quote Sen. Bramble, he paraphrased him there.
Journalists are not hired to end sentences with a period that should end with a question mark. In this case, Bernick's reporting would have been okay, had he not asserted something that was untrue, and instead, asked the question, "Could state lawmakers be planning a referendum law overhaul?" as opposed to "Get read for..."
He's a poor journalist, and really, he's indicative of the Big Media problems Urquhart has blooged on extensively.
hi,
This is kimz,THIS year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, one of the most effective demonstrations of the entire civil-rights era. It is also the anniversary of a sordid murder committed because of that march.
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kimz
Utah Drug Treatment
hi,
a woman from Michigan named Viola Liuzzo, who was shuttling demonstrators from Montgomery back to housing in Selma, was killed by a volley of bullets fired from a passing car. Viola Liuzzo, as it happens, was just the sort of ``Northern meddler'' whom segregationists despised. The 39-year-old woman was thrice married and mentally unstable, and she had needle marks in her arms when she died. Although she had once registered, she had never voted; segregationists pointed out that she was demanding a right for blacks that she herself had never exercised. President Lyndon Johnson took an intense interest in the case. Within 24 hours of her death he had gone on television and radio with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover at his side to announce the arrest of four suspects, all members of the Ku Klux Klan. Johnson heaped praise on ``the very fast and always efficient work of the special agents of the FBI who worked all night long, starting immediately after the tragic death of Mrs. Viola Liuzzo.'' He heaped abuse on the Klan, and urged Congress to mount a full-scale investigation of its activities -- a charge that was promptly accepted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Johnson did not mention that the crime had been solved with such miraculous speed because one of the arrested Klansmen, Gary Rowe, was a paid FBI informer. Collie Wilkins, the alleged trigger-man, was tried in a segregated courtroom in Hayneville, Alabama. He was defended by Matt Murphy, ``Imperial Klonsel'' (general counsel) of the United Klans of America. Imperial Klonsel Murphy made much of the fact that the state's case depended almost entirely on the testimony of a paid informer who had broken his oath of loyalty to the Klan and had betrayed his brothers.
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kimz
Utah Drug Treatment
Rep. Urquhart:
I totally think you should ban the geeks from discussing Obi Wan and Qui whatever on your blog ever again. Next thing you know we'll be debating the relative merits of living on the Death Star versus Naboom, or whatever it is.
Bernick is not a reporter. He is just a od ed gossip columnist.
You thin-skinned little whimps. Bernick hit the nail on the head and now your dirty little secret is out.
10:06 anon.,
I don't get the Jazz game/punch me in the face statement.
Rep Urquhart-
I can give a little light to the anonymous "punch in the face" comment. For all the Jazz games legislators have attended, I don't think any has ever been accused of slugging a woman for obnoxiously supporting the visiting team: (I hope these links work for you)
http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=WPJYBDYDUFCO&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=1&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES
The charge was dismissed. The assault victim and witnesses did not show up for a court date. Pure speculation, but if she's a Kings fan, chances are she didn't wish to travel to testify, or she was lying.
http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=WPJYBDYDUFCO&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=2&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES
But the real gem comes from the portion of the article where Bernick's lawyer is attributed with this complaint:
"Brass said while he is happy his client is cleared of wrongdoing he is disappointed the woman and the other witness won't be held accountable for making such accusations."
The DNews had both of these stories on page B4. I wonder how Bob would feel if this had led on A1, top fold, and the dismissal had never run...
Looks like you can't connecct to those links. For those with interest, head to the DNews site, and check out the archives. Search for "Editor Battery" in 2003 and 2004. Should turn up the articles, but basically, a woman accused Dirty Bernie of punching her at a Jazz-Kings game in November of 2003.
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