May I Have a Word? Scandal
The Dallas Independent School District revealed a $64 million budget shortfall. An editorial in The Dallas Morning News called it "embarrassing," "unacceptable," a "scandal." Wick Allison, on Frontburner, put things in perspective. The DISD shortfall was 5% of the district's budget. In comparison, The Dallas Morning News "itself was experiencing a financial shortfall of about 14%." Given that the DISD is "getting the best results in 40 years," and The Dallas Morning News is losing readership, is scandal the right word in the DISD's case?
Mike Hashimoto, editorial writer for The Dallas Morning News, is quick to rise to the defense of the paper. His argument is somehow related to the fact that the DISD is funded by taxes and Belo (owner of the News) is not. His argument also implies that the DISD shortfall is due to either negligence or malfeasance whereas Belo's financial difficulties are...not?
What Hashimoto's argument is not based on is any assessment of the nature of the budget shortfall, where the money is being spent, and whether the DISD is making progress in the quality of education it provides. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but in Mike Hashimoto's world, education doesn't merit a mention.
McCain Gets Called Out on Lies
Barack Obama unveiled a new television ad this week decrying the lies and smears the John McCain campaign has been spreading. The Obama ad features media fact-finding reports on McCain's claims, such as Time's description of one McCain ad as "one of the sleaziest ads...ever seen."
How does Dallas Blog report this? Does it link to the ad and analyze its claims? Does it fact-check the claims McCain has been making about Obama? No. Dallas Blog runs a story by Tom McGregor headlined, "Obama's 'Change' Campaign Turns Nasty." It's Obama who gets criticized for promising a change from McCain's old-style politics of personal destruction. It's Obama who is being "nasty" for pointing out the lies being told by McCain.
Dallas Blog doesn't even link to Obama's ad, keeping readers from judging for themselves, but it does quote from and links to Fox News. Dallas Blog - Where Even Pretending to be Fair and Balanced is Too Much.
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