Let’s Fact-Check the Fact-Checkers
2012-04-23 - by
I think I’m going to start writing columns about reporters who write columns telling folks what’s true and untrue in political ads. After all, the reporters are setting themselves up as referees so why not fact-check the fact-checkers? For instance:
A respected reporter here in Raleigh recently wrote a fact-check about the American Foundations Committee’s TV ad about Paul Coble. This reporter is honest. Unbiased. Thoughtful. And careful. But, in my book, this time he got flummoxed. What happened:
Paul Coble has endorsed or supported or voted for well over a billion dollars in Wake County debt increases and, in addition, after initially endorsing those bonds Coble has cast the subsequent votes to issue them.
Coble’s spinmeister flummoxed the reporter by confusing the two types of votes. Here’s the spin-line: After voters approved the bonds, all Paul did was cast the ‘perfunctory’ votes to issue them.
Now that’s not exactly so – because Coble both initially endorsed and subsequently voted to issue over a billion dollars in bonds. Which is what the American Foundations Committee ad said. But the reporter took the bait. Later, to his credit he tried to clear it up. But for over two weeks Paul Coble’s had a headline on his Facebook page roaring: Reporter Says Holding Super PAC Ad Not True.
Moral of the story: If you’re fact-checking ads the place to do research is not on the phone with the opposing campaign’s spinmeister.
Posted in North Carolina - Republicans, Raleigh
Let’s Fact-Check the Fact-Checkers
2012-04-23/
I think I’m going to start writing columns about reporters who write columns telling folks what’s true and untrue in political ads. After all, the reporters are setting themselves up as referees so why not fact-check the fact-checkers? For instance:
A respected reporter here in Raleigh recently wrote a fact-check about the American Foundations Committee’s TV ad about Paul Coble. This reporter is honest. Unbiased. Thoughtful. And careful. But, in my book, this time he got flummoxed. What happened:
Paul Coble has endorsed or supported or voted for well over a billion dollars in Wake County debt increases and, in addition, after initially endorsing those bonds Coble has cast the subsequent votes to issue them.
Coble’s spinmeister flummoxed the reporter by confusing the two types of votes. Here’s the spin-line: After voters approved the bonds, all Paul did was cast the ‘perfunctory’ votes to issue them.
Now that’s not exactly so – because Coble both initially endorsed and subsequently voted to issue over a billion dollars in bonds. Which is what the American Foundations Committee ad said. But the reporter took the bait. Later, to his credit he tried to clear it up. But for over two weeks Paul Coble’s had a headline on his Facebook page roaring: Reporter Says Holding Super PAC Ad Not True.
Moral of the story: If you’re fact-checking ads the place to do research is not on the phone with the opposing campaign’s spinmeister.
Posted in North Carolina - Republicans, Raleigh