13
Mar
2001
The hypocrisy and self-serving nature of the Quad City Times' editorial page knows no bounds.
Case in point No. 1: Editor John Humenik's posturing on "An emotional price for finding the truth," which appeared last Sunday. In it Humenik opines how the Orlando Sentinel newspaper in Florida has the right to evaluate Dale Earnhardt's autopsy photographs, since that paper has been, for a long time, an advocate of improved safety on the NASCAR circuit. Throw in the Freedom of Information Act and Humenik feels completely justified in his statement, "...we still need to support investigative journalism that endeavors to ask 'why' and 'how."' We also must reject political efforts that would decimate the valued principle of open government." This position, coming from a newspaper that advocated and thoroughly endorsed the censoring of the Davenport City Council's Public With Business from being broadcast on cable television. Where was the QCTimes asking the questions "how" this censoring would affect our council's accountability to their tax paying constituents? And "why" such a drastic measure was even being considered by our elected officials? And why didn't the QC Times "reject the political efforts" by our city council to lobby their support of such a draconian act? I suppose the "valued principle of open government" is only fitting when the Times deems it appropriate.
Case in point No. 2: The Quad City Times gratuitous support of the proposed Super Wal-Mart development deal in Davenport. Over the past several weeks the Times has reported on the various issues regarding the public's outrage and the controversy surrounding the city rolling out the red carpet for a new Super Wal-Mart. So one has to wonder why the Times' editorial board would take up the torch with such ferocity to defend this continued path of urban sprawl. Readers of such cheerleading should consider who the editor's of the Quad City Times are really writing for: their stockholders. Obviously the QC Times wants the 53rd & Elmore location to fly no matter how fuzzy the developer's numbers are and no matter how much of a bath locally owned retailers will take or how much of a subsidy the city has to cough up. Should the Wal-Mart go there, then one can expect a Home Depot and numerous other retailers to follow, which will in turn result in increased ad revenues for the Times' stockholders. By advocating such a development, the Times is ignoring case after case of Super Wal-Mart's nationwide denigration of locally owned retailers, many of which have supported said newspaper over the years. Certainly, the QC Times is sensitive to the potential lost advertising revenue from the smaller jewelry, clothing, grocery, gardening, hardware, electronics, etc. stores who will be hit hardest by a Super Wal-Mart and its dominating power. Such a shortsighted endorsement only makes one wonder what kind of discussions the QC Times has had with Wal-Mart officials about advertising.
Case in point No. 2: The Quad City Times gratuitous support of the proposed Super Wal-Mart development deal in Davenport. Over the past several weeks the Times has reported on the various issues regarding the public's outrage and the controversy surrounding the city rolling out the red carpet for a new Super Wal-Mart. So one has to wonder why the Times' editorial board would take up the torch with such ferocity to defend this continued path of urban sprawl. Readers of such cheerleading should consider who the editor's of the Quad City Times are really writing for: their stockholders. Obviously the QC Times wants the 53rd & Elmore location to fly no matter how fuzzy the developer's numbers are and no matter how much of a bath locally owned retailers will take or how much of a subsidy the city has to cough up. Should the Wal-Mart go there, then one can expect a Home Depot and numerous other retailers to follow, which will in turn result in increased ad revenues for the Times' stockholders. By advocating such a development, the Times is ignoring case after case of Super Wal-Mart's nationwide denigration of locally owned retailers, many of which have supported said newspaper over the years. Certainly, the QC Times is sensitive to the potential lost advertising revenue from the smaller jewelry, clothing, grocery, gardening, hardware, electronics, etc. stores who will be hit hardest by a Super Wal-Mart and its dominating power. Such a shortsighted endorsement only makes one wonder what kind of discussions the QC Times has had with Wal-Mart officials about advertising.
