Flash Report publisher Jon Fleischman today ran a "Shame on the Sac Bee" item after the editorial board used The Bee's Breaking News Alert to tout an editorial urging state Sen. Dave Cox to seek a resolution of the state budget impasse.
As Fleischman may or may not know, The Bee has published breaking news editorials before. In previous late-night budget sessions, our online editorials have warned readers about the prison guards union and its last-minute attempts to strong-arm pay raises from lawmakers, adding to the kind of unsustainable payroll obligations that Fleischman supposedly opposes.
Now Fleischman is using his blog to suggest that esteemed reporters in the Sacramento Bee's newsroom are having their credibility undermined because the editorial page is publishing opinions, and is using emails to let readers know about those opinions. That is shameful, especially for someone who drapes himself in the cloak of the First Amendment.
Ever since the first newspapers were published, they have run opinions, just as Fleischman is now doing on his Web site.
We've disagreed with the Flash Report over the years, but we've never denigrated Fleischman's right to say what he thinks nor personally attacked writers that he is associated with. We also find it hilarious that a guy whose blog is constantly targeting individual lawmakers -- Recall Maldonado Web Site in the Works -- would take issue with an editorial that focuses on a single lawmaker and makes a reasoned argument for him to act in the state's interest.
Shame on the Bee? Shame on the Flash Report.
As Fleischman may or may not know, The Bee has published breaking news editorials before. In previous late-night budget sessions, our online editorials have warned readers about the prison guards union and its last-minute attempts to strong-arm pay raises from lawmakers, adding to the kind of unsustainable payroll obligations that Fleischman supposedly opposes.
Now Fleischman is using his blog to suggest that esteemed reporters in the Sacramento Bee's newsroom are having their credibility undermined because the editorial page is publishing opinions, and is using emails to let readers know about those opinions. That is shameful, especially for someone who drapes himself in the cloak of the First Amendment.
Ever since the first newspapers were published, they have run opinions, just as Fleischman is now doing on his Web site.
We've disagreed with the Flash Report over the years, but we've never denigrated Fleischman's right to say what he thinks nor personally attacked writers that he is associated with. We also find it hilarious that a guy whose blog is constantly targeting individual lawmakers -- Recall Maldonado Web Site in the Works -- would take issue with an editorial that focuses on a single lawmaker and makes a reasoned argument for him to act in the state's interest.
Shame on the Bee? Shame on the Flash Report.
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