Here in East Tennessee’s First Congressional District, the five-term Republican incumbent just announced his plan to run again. Nothing remarkable — EXCEPT that when first elected he promised to limit himself to five terms. Running again would make six terms, and plainly violates the term-limit assurance to voters upon which he was originally elected.
It’s not exactly a surprise when an incumbent politician betrays a promise.
But what appears to be partisan manipulation of the news cycle by the local newspaper is unexpected.
On February 8, the Johnson City Press announced the incumbent’s re-election bid in its online edition. The story incorrectly reported that his original term-limit promise was for six terms. Somebody also changed the incumbent’s Wikipedia page to make it look like the term-limit promise had always been six terms.
Shortly after the story appeared in the newspaper’s online edition, a reader attempted to post an online comment pointing out the dates and/or URL’s of past news coverage (including the Johnson City Press’ own coverage) that clearly show the term-limit promise was five terms.
Here it is, the next day, and the reader’s comment is being held in “pending” limbo by the newspaper. Other subsequent comments published, but not this one.
Meanwhile the 24 hour news cycle progresses and the story is being pushed from the front page to the back of the paper. As of this writing, it now sits just below a series of cat photos from the local animal shelter. If the reader comment pointing out the incumbent’s broken promise is ever published, it will be effectively buried.
It’s hard to tell if this is journalistic incompetence, a dirty trick by a partisan news outlet, or something else. Regardless, it seems there is more than one way to fake the news.