Documentation of central spin control in Scripps newspapers

[mouse7]

Yahoo links two editorials regarding the Medicare prescription drug compromise at this moment, one from the Cincinnati Post, the other from the Rocky Mountain News. Let's look at the first paragraphs of these two editorials in two geographically distant cities...

http://www.cincypost.com/2003/11/14/editb111403.html

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_2426663,00.html

First, from the Cincinnati Post...


"One of the few positive features of the House and Senate prescription drug bills were provisions aimed at establishing competition between Medicare and private insurance companies.

Now, as a House-Senate conference committee tries to negotiate a compromise, even this proposal is endangered...."

Now, the Rocky-Mountain News...

" About the only thing making a prescription drug bill even mildly excusable was a provision allowing for eventual competition between Medicare and private insurance companies. Now, even this proposal is endangered...."

Whoaaaa! Lookie there. That's not two editorials that just agree on an issue. That's two editorials that agree on the using the exact same words in the exact same places. Hmm I wonder if that pattern continues. Lets read on...

First, the Cincinnati Post...

"...Though there is considerable public pressure for such a benefit, America's seniors are not surviving on dog food because of prescription drug costs. The average drug bill for the elderly is less than $1,000 a year. And most in this wealthiest-of-all age group have supplemental insurance to help pay for those drugs...."

Now, the Rocky Mountain News...

"...There have been extraordinary falsehoods in the course of the debate, for instance, that massive numbers of old people were surviving on dog food because of prescription drug costs. The fact is the average drug bill for the elderly is something less than $1,000 a year and most in this wealthiest-of-all age group have supplemental insurance to pay for those drugs...."

How about this...

The Cincinnati Post...

"...There are some poor elderly who are up against it, of course, and they should be helped. The poorest already are eligible for help through the Medicaid program, which provides prescription drug benefits for the indigent. Congress could and perhaps should help the next tier or two up the poverty ladder, but it can do so for far less than the $400 billion, 10-year cost of the current proposal, which would aim to make drug benefits available to all Medicare recipients, no matter what their income...."

Now, the Rocky Mountain News...

There are some poor elderly who are up against it, of course, and of course they should be helped. The cost would be far less than the $400 billion, 10-year price of the current legislation, which would aim to make drug benefits available to all Medicare recipients, no matter what their income...."

Wow. What a remarkable coincidence. I mean, we all know it would be extremely paranoid to make an accusation that the editorials in Scripps newspapers regarding national policy issues are dictated from a central location. That would just be internet conspiracy-theory gibberish, right?

(edited because I never spell "Cincinnati" the same way twice)

[radfringe]

1. my partner's father use to comment

on how all cars looked alike even though they were made by different manufacturers,and he would say some day we would just have vehicles named "car"

from you find it looks like the newspapers will soon just be called "newspaper"...

[mouse7]

2. I just e-mailed this gem to FAIR

They probably have drawers of files of similarities like this, but this was personally a particularly blatant example I couldn't pass up comment on.

[NJCher]

3. nice find, mouse

I'm sending this around, especially to my friends who think there is still a fourth estate.


Cher

[Liberalator]

4. Similar editorial ran in these Florida Scripp newspapers

Welcome to TCPalm.com -
The online network for
Scripps Treasure Coast newspapers
The Stuart News and Port St. Lucie News
The Fort Pierce Tribune
The Vero Beach Press Journal
The Jupiter Courier
Sebastian Sun

http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/pj_editorials/article/0,1651,TCP_1125_2429032,00.html

Editorial: Medicare hash
Attempt at watered-down reform would do more harm than good.

November 17, 2003

Excerpts:

About the only thing making a prescription drug bill even mildly excusable was a provision allowing for eventual competition between Medicare and private insurance companies. Now, even this proposal is endangered.
****
It has taken a lot of pretense to get to this pass. There had to be the extraordinary falsehood, for instance, that massive numbers of old people were surviving on dog food because of prescription drug costs.
****
The fact is that the average drug bill for the elderly is something less than $1,000 a year and that most in this wealthiest-of-all age group have supplemental insurance or company-paid retirement benefits to pay for those drugs. There are some poor elderly who are up against it, of course, and of course they should be helped. The cost would be far less than the $400 billion, 10-year cost of the current legislation, which would aim to make drug benefits available to all Medicare recipients, no matter what their income.

Google (currently shows these newspapers with the same opening for the paragraph.

Editorial: Opinion sampler
Stuart News, FL - 7 Nov 2003
... .. When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional
leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he ...


Editorial Roundup
Rocky Mount Telegram, NC - 5 Nov 2003
When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional
leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he ...


Editorial Roundup
News Journal, TX - 5 Nov 2003
When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional
leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he ...


Editorial Roundup
Wilmington Morning Star, NC - 5 Nov 2003
When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional
leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he ...


Editorial Roundup
Times Daily, AL - 5 Nov 2003
When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional
leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he ...

[theshadow]

5. I think that editorial...

was from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and was just being quoted as part of a review of editorials from other newspapers. The ST is not owned by Scripps.

[mouse7]

6. That not what Cinc. and R. Mt. web pages state

Look at the links to their pages that I listed. They are published as editorials without attribution. That means both these newspapers claim both these editorials originated from each individual publication and that both are the intellectual property of each individual newspaper.

There was no mention of the Minn. Star Tribune in either webpage or the Yahoo link to these editorials. That Yahoo link is here...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=US&cat=Health_Care

[mouse7]

7. However...

I'm racing to take a look at the Minn Star Trib. Let's see how much further this goes.

(On edit) I looked at the Star-Trib. The closest thing in the editorials is something that ran on the 10th about Minn. state cutbacks. Star-Trib seems to be on the other side of issue generally as well.

In other words, I have no idea what you are talking about here, shadow.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4200292.html

[theshadow]

26. The latter part of Liberalator's message....

referred to an editorial that appeared in a bunch of newspapers. These were "editorial round-ups" from North Carolina, Texas, Alabama and Florida. When I checked for the exact phrase in Google, it can be traced to a November 2 editorial in the Star-Tribune. The Washington Post also reprinted it, attributing it to the Star-Tribune. My only point was that those newspapers reprinted the editorials as part of a compilation of editorials from other newspapers, which was different than what the Scripps newspapers were pulling.

[izzie]

8. I find that up-setting.

I once went to a drug store and ask them what a drug would cost and had a real fight with them. I just wished to know the reg, brand of this drugs cost. They could not get it through their heads as I just needed the cost. They finally said well over $30 a month.Now what does that mean? Over $30 ? I felt I did not need this drug as I had not had it my whole life and it was a thing nature gives you. I talked to my daughter and she said, you are right every women has trouble with this drug. So I declined to take it or spend the money and then the govt came out and down played this drug.Now I felt it was to costly and I really did not really need this drug. Now they will be taking $35 a month from my SScheck.I also take no drugs at all. This is going to be costly for me.Does not look like a good deal for most people I know.

[stickdog]

9. Quoted, but quoted slightly differently each time?

Can I have some of what you're smoking?

[mouse7]

10. There is no quoting here

There is no indication by the publications in question that they are citing any references in their editorial. That means each newspaper is claiming the work as it's own original material and intellectual property.

[stickdog]

11. I see this EXACTLY as you see it.

Irrefutable proof of centralized editorial control.

[papau]

13. But - But - 60% of reporters are liberal!!!!! - so broadcast/print must be

liberal.

I mean Fox says this is true!

Sigh....

Great research - I wonder if the media will note that they are exposed? In their hearts - as I know it will never appear in print or on broadcast.

[UpInArms]

14. I absolutely love that sticker -

is anyone making and selling them???

do you have a web address where they are available???

thanks!

[stickdog]

20. It isn't available as anything but a gif file.

Sorry.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi theshadow!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dusty64]

12. This sadly does not surprise

me. How else could the media whores always stay on message and have the same rightwing talking points day in and day out. There have been reports of something similar going on at faux news (surprise!), and I'm sure it happens at msrnc and cnn as well.

[WoodrowFan]

15. Isn't the Post

Isn't the Post the more 'liberal' of the two Cincinnati papers/??

[Philostopher]

18. Yeah, actually it is.

But we are talking about Cincinnati, here. Twenty years ago, the Post was a legitimately more progressive alternative to the Enquirer, back when it was more independent under Times Star Publishing (before it was taken over by Scripps-Howard); now, saying it's more liberal than the Enquirer is kind of like comparing Gary Bauer and James Dobson for religious zeal. It's a different flavor of conservative, but it's still conservative.

[DUreader]

16. Good stuff, mouse7

[TahitiNut]

17. Good catch ... but not LBN.

Please review Rules for Posting in the Latest Breaking News Forum. I'm moving this thread to Editorials & Other Articles.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator

[mouse7]

21. I disagree.

This is breaking news. I broke it. Right here. This is solid research and a comparison of editorial content of Scripps Newspapers. It is not an opinion. Posting this was the only "publishing" option I had at my disposal when I stumbled upon this story. I'm not a media mogul.

I certainly don't have real impressive byline, but if you argue that because I wrote it instead of some prestigious news organization, that it doen't merit consideration as a real "news" item, then you are empowering the corporate media to determine the content of news.

[DUreader]

22. I'd have to agree, mouse, please stay with us.

At least let us know if you break anymore stories.

thankyou

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Terwilliger]

28. buh BYE!

SHEESH! Stop yer bitchin!

[CatWoman]

27. Get OVER your self!!!!!!

YOU define what LBN is?????

Friends don't let friends post drunk.

[PATRICK]

19. Scripps

In my view despite it's own version of "fair and balanced" which means 80% pro-conservative, one or two liberal curmudgeons, for its syndicated news fillers, it spreads the most current anecdotal tripe to flog "liberalism" and extol the hard right agenda. It's showcase website has the textbook tributes to King, but the hard stuff and the calls for effective agenda are mainly right.

Either they go with the flow or this is yet another conservative popularizer crossed over from neutral fller for lazy newspaper chains.

When they are bad they are very bad, when they are good it is only a token.

[tom_paine]

25. Operation Mockingbird/The Bushevik Broederbund is on the job!

Soviet-style editorials for a Soviet-style Imperial Amerika.

I'm sure this was all just an unfortunate coincidence...

[DUreader]

29. did everyone get to see this?

kick

[KT2000]

30. For the War Room

that we should have at the DNC. Unfortunatley, I dont think they are working one but they should.

This is what candidates need to know to fight back!!

Guess I will make that suggestion to the DNC.

Excellent work mouse - thanks.

[ramapo]

31. The beauty of corporate media

It's probably not much, if any, of an exxageration to say that not all that long ago (~50 years) that there was more media competition in just New York City than there is today in the entire country.

Even during the '60s there were six+ major newspapers just in NYC.

It is truly stunning how the media has come under corporate control.

[otohara]

32. I Just Phoned The Rocky

and sure as shit, this happens a lot - Cincinatti is their corporate office - I asked, does Cincinatti ever print your columns, or do you just stroke home office and run theirs. He did not know? How suprising is that?

[tom_paine]

33. kick -- people need to see this

:kick: :kick: :dem: :kick:

[T Bone]

34. Wonder if the same crap could be googled out of Gannett papers

Something tells me it probably could be.