(Aiken, SC) – Deb Nix, Chair of the We The People Aiken – Citizens Acting for Responsible Education Committee (WTPA CARE) has, today, turned down the Aiken Standard’s request to be interviewed by them in their proclaimed efforts to “report on both sides” of the 1 percent Sales Tax and $125 million Aiken County School ballot proposals.
The last several months of the Standard’s front page cheerleading, masked as reporting (vague and obscure as it was), of this reckless proposal has demonstrated to many Aiken citizens that on this issue the Standard is functioning more as a propaganda house organ for our opponent’s committee (who are promoting it) and the Aiken County School Board rather than being faithful to their charter – objective reporting on both sides. Meanwhile, we are convinced this proposal will set a very poor financial example for our children, will hurt small business and will especially hurt our low income neighbors of Aiken County.
We have little confidence that the paper has anyone on staff who even fully understands the proposal in front of the voters.
But the real proof of the compromise of their journalistic integrity was revealed when their advertising department solicited business to fund the proponent committee’s (our opposition) through ads in their paper, with the promise that the Standard will donate 10 percent of this ad revenue to the proponent committee.
WTPA CARE will not submit ourselves to an interview with a company that is funding our opponent committee, in hopes of receiving fair coverage. We charge the Aiken Standard of violating one of their most prized possessions: journalistic credibility and wonder where this will leave them in the eyes of their peers and most importantly their community.
(Editor’s Note: The above communication is a news release from a citizen advocacy group and does not necessarily reflect the editorial position of FITSNews.com. To submit your letter, news release, email blast, media advisory or issues statement for publication, click here).
12 comments
Journalistic integrity has been sacrificed on the altar of financial survival-and not just in Aiken.
And they say FITS is bought and paid for … tsk, tsk, tsk …
That paper loves Greg Ryberg, an asshole of magnificent proportions. Any paper than can support a known liar, arrogant shit, and goofy bastard like Ryberg can’t be trusted.
Just hearing his name makes me wanna puke. I remember him from way back…handle bar mustache, cowboy boots, and getting head from the fat clerks at his gas station/lottery stores.
‘getting head from the fat clerks at his gas station/lottery stores.’
And from DHECs Underground Gas Tank Program.
Newspapers are still with us?
They are like landlines…only old people use them.
What is this…? No links in this article…? Well…..lets see just how typical this is gonna be…!
Hmm…… how trusted is this info here..? http://www.realestatebook.com/agents/usa/sc/aiken/debbie-nix-id5144883
“…..that the Standard will donate 10 percent of this ad revenue to the proponent committee….”
Ya know……Debbie Nix needs to look an editor in the eye and tell this weenie that she can use Google Earth to lay out every advertiser for parents to see…!!!
LOL…….I wonder if Debbie Nix has had a chat with Jennie Horne lately; since Pierre Manigault and the Charleston “crew” has Aiken by the ‘throat”..!!
http://www.aikenstandard.com/staff
SCOTT RODGERS………bingo…
Ya know………..taking down our state’s media in a class action lawsuit may be easier than SPAWAR Atlantic even realizes..!!
We wonder if Janice Fife would even see it coming…..
Dear Diane Knich and Abigail Darlington of the Charleston Post and Courier….!!!
Dare to wonder how both of you are going to be laughed at during the tailgates for Clemson and USC and the Citadel this weekend..?
This type of advertising snookery goes back past the Civil War…!!!
LOL…….ya know girls, dare to think about how advertisers of the very paper YOU work at are porking fellow taxpayers and parents that your KIDS will be attending school with..!? Don’t have kids…….if you stop and think about it…..ITS EVEN WORSE..!!
Ya know….all that ad money for the Berkeley School District initiative that has caused numerous “boyz” to resign from the Board…..how can it be tracked back to certain advertisers that the Post “poaches”…?
Girls…….dare to wonder how a Blood Diamond is a lot like an advertising “sucker”…!?
Calls to the ad department are easily TRACKED…!!!
The accusations against the Aiken Standard make it seem worse than fitsnews.
Speaking of unnecessary taxes, that county has a helicopter, right? … Jus’ sayin’
And the School Bored is all signed up for common core, right? … Jus’say in’
And how many illegal alien sons and daughters have been dumped there? … Jus’ sayin’
As a subscriber to the newspaper, I have noticed with deep regret that the Aiken Standard seems ro be an arm of big government (and i.e. higher taxes). There was no appropriate response when the county government defended their getting rid of their old furniture from the old building as having “outlived” its function- those arent the exact words- the words they used were much more hilarious. They were spending 1.45 million dollars for new furniture. And time after time I have read editorials supporting higher taxes, saying present taxes are “unsustainable.” Disgusting. We didnt even have income taxes till the 2nd world war- and they were supposed to be temporary. Nothing from government is “temporary”- they get their feet in the door and it becomes permanent and aggressive. We are taxed for working and then we are taxed for buying clothes to put on our backs, then we are taxed for buying a place to live, then we are taxed to drive a car to work and taxed for buying the gas to put in the car. We have become slaves to taxes and to support one cent more is outrageous.