I’ve been meaning to say something about the April issue of Accent West. It really is troubling, though not surprising, that editor/publisher Don Cantrell chose to use his magazine to promote Hodger the Dodger’s candidacy for mayor.
From the Amarillo Globe-Republican, April Fools Day, (“
Politics is somewhat of a foreign topic to Accent West. And if you believe its executive editor, politics is removed from the factors that put Hodge on the cover at the height of the election season.
"I know no one is gonna believe me, but I've been planning on doing that story for about a year," said Don Cantrell, Accent West executive editor.
Good call, Don. No one believes you. No one at all.
I really tried to not write it where it was necessarily an endorsement or a political forum. I mean, you couldn't hardly do it. . .What, because Hodger the Dodger is such a candidato perfecto that he can’t be mentioned without endorsing him? I can do it in my sleep: see several of my posts below. Look, Don, don’t even start because you didn’t write crap, anyway. Here’s my summary of your article: a page of Hodger the Dodger talking, a coupla paragraphs of biography, three more pages of Hodger.
Free writing tip, Don: if you want to write an article about a political candidate and “not write it where it was necessarily an endorsement,” you shouldn’t let the candidate do all the talking. Because, you see, Hodger is going to endorse himself. More than likely.
And then there are the photographs: Hodger at the ranch, Hodger with his family, Hodger with former Governor and NCAA-violator Bill Clements.
This article is free advertising, period. Why hasn’t the Globe-Republican Ghostly Voice condemned it? When the Globe-Republican pretends that there’s even a question whether the article’s appropriate, the paper betrays its own biases and lack of ethics.
The Globe-Republican article of 16 April (“Toot'n Totum passes on Accent West issue”) is even worse. And either Greg Mitchell of Toot-n-Totum needs some serious PR help or he was the victim of a journalistic hit-and-run. According to the article, Cantrell approached Mitchell, brother of Debra McCartt, to give him a heads-up about the Hodge fluff piece. The article implies Cantrell did so because it was (in a Wilfred Grimley Quaker Oats voice) “the right thing to do.”
"I just felt like he (Mitchell) needed to know what we were doing and offered him the option," Cantrell said.
And Mitchell, on the defensive before he really needs to be, whineth
It looks like I'm just sitting there promoting my sister. But I think it was inappropriate for him (Cantrell) to do it regardless if it had been my sister or anybody else.You know what? It was inappropriate. And Mitchell shouldn’t apologize before anyone asks him to.
SPACEDARK
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