Sunday, October 15, 2006

Morning Call misses the boat -- again

When the mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton signed the U.S.Mayors Climate Protection Agreement on July 21, the Morning Call didn't report it at all.

On October 15, 2006, Don Cunningham and John Stoffa, the County Executives of Lehigh and Northampton counties, signed a similar Climate Protection Agreement that spells out ways the counties will act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all county operations. (This is believed to be the first time counties have worked together to make a climate protectio a regional priority.)

The Morning Call did not run the advance announcement and did not cover the event.

Peter

2 comments:

Bernie O'Hare said...

In a discussion of media bias, I think it's important that we make full disclsoure. I'm a member of Lehigh Valley Beyond Oil, and so is Peter, who posted this litttle essay. When you come right down to it, we don't have objective viewpoints on this subject.

I called the MC when it first declined to run a story about the 3 LV mayors signing the climate protection agreement, which was covered in the Express Times. I was told that reporters were working on a number of other important stories that day and that they felt this was all show and no substance. Would it really make aNy difference at all? Would the cities really change practices? For example, would it start buying fuel efficient vehicles instead of Crown Victorias or Lincoln Navigators? I don't know the answer to these questions. Personally, I think a reporter should have been there, if only to ask an important question like that. But I myself am biased.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Peter, Very good points.