Let's all laugh at the Statesman!

I decided to pick an editorial article from our local paper, the Austin American Statesman. I love to rip on the American Statesman. They’re an easy target mainly because they are such a left leaning liberal paper and they make a perfect compliment to the Peoples Republic of Austin, errrr…City of Austin. While it is somewhat sad that Austin is known as the “San Francisco of Texas”, it is clear that the Statesman fits Austin like a glove. I’ve lived in the Austin area for fifteen years and not much has changed when it comes to the Statesman’s approach to attract readers: write something negative about the Austin Police Department. I’m sure a weekly editors meeting goes something like this:
Editor: OK gang, sales are down AGAIN this week. What stories do we have lined up to get more paying readers?
Reporter: The Lake levels continue to decline
Editor: We’ve run that story to the ground. No good. What else?
Reporter: It’s very hot in Central Texas.
Editor: Thanks. No good. What else?
Reporter: I’ve got a negative story about the Longhorns…
Editor (with hands over ears): LALALALLALALALALALAL…can’t hear you!!!!
Tony Plohetski: Chief, I’ve got a story on how APD’s internal Affairs detectives are feuding with their bosses over the Quintana investigation, except that I’m short on evidence, facts, and my article is mostly opinion based….
Editor: PUT THAT PAGE 1!!!!! TODAY!!!
Plohtetski: But boss, it’s not really…
Editor: I don’t care!!! Print it!! Tony, as usual, you are gold!!
Seriously, the Editorial asks the question: If police complaints are made public, why shouldn’t the results be made public in cases where the Officer was cleared of any wrongdoing? The article goes on to whine about how the public should have access to information about all internal affairs investigations, regardless whether the officer was found guilty of any wrong doing. Although editorials are opinions, it’s a shame the writer doesn’t draw on facts to form his opinion.
The writer rails about how things should be, but doesn’t provide the reader with a plan on how to change the current laws that protect certain aspects of internal police investigations. So the reader is left with yet another griping article written by a bleeding heart liberal. Here’s the link: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/2009/09/09/0909internal_edit.html.
This editorial is worth reading because it’s an excellent example of biased and opinionated reporting whose thinly based premise is not supported by any facts.