Pantagraph to Moore: Headline use 'misleading'

Bloomington (IL) Pantagraph ^ | July 30, 2004 | Bill Flick

[prairie dog]

The Pantagraph has a message for Michael Moore, creator of the movie hit, "Fahrenheit 9/11":

If he wants to "edit" The Pantagraph, he should apply for a copy-editing job and not simply show made-over and "falsely represented" pages from the newspaper in his movie -- or he should at least ask for permission first.

In a letter drafted Thursday and sent to Moore and the movie's Santa Monica, Calif.-based distributor, Lions Gate Entertainment, the newspaper admonished him for his "unauthorized ... misleading" use of The Pantagraph in the film. He also was cited for copyright infringement.

[prairie dog]

The Pantagraph remains a mostly conservative paper despite being bought out by Pulitzer a few years ago. I think they should seek more in damages, like say, $100 million or so!

[tdadams]

Let's include what the crux of the complaint is about:

In a moment early in the movie, newspaper headlines from around America that relate to the legally contested 2000 presidential election flash across the screen. One of them is purported to be from a Dec. 19, 2001, edition of The Pantagraph.

But a check of that day's newspaper revealed the large headline prominently flashed in the movie -- "Latest Florida recount shows Gore won election" -- never appeared in that edition.

[tdadams]

I meant to include this paragraph as well:

Instead, the headline appeared in a Dec. 5, 2001, edition -- but not as a news headline. It was in much smaller type above a letter to the editor. Those headlines reflect only the opinions of the letter writer and are not considered "factual" news stories.

[Liberty Valance]

Too late...damage done. But I do hope Moore chokes on a chicken bone. :o)

[Behind Liberal Lines]

They need to sue the bastards and send a press release to everyone and their brother, including FOX and the Wall St. Journal.

[Wil H]

The headline is not "misleading"

It's a TOTAL FABRICATION - a lie constructed out of someone's misguided opinion.

And moore deliberately manipulated it to his own agenda.

Being ugly isn't the only thing he has in common with Joseph Goebbels

[tdadams]

Moore knows the New York Times' first rule of journalistic ethics and clarity: Mistakes run on page one above the fold. Corrections run in the bottom corner of page A17.

Moore doesn't care about truth or clarity. He knows he can fabricate this headline and his unquestioning myrmidons will repeat it over and over until it passes into the realm of "everyone knows it's true". That's his lone objective, to deliberately mislead for the purpose of political gain. He's a shameless propagandist.

[Proangel]

Pantagraph Bump! (From a proud subscriber.) I've never been much of a Bill Flick fan, but he can now add me to his fan list. I love it when the facts prove that Michael Moore is nothing but a big LIAR!

[ncdrumr]

"In an instance that The Pantagraph prints materials in which there is a mistake," the Costigan letter to Moore reads, "it is corrected. It is our hope that you would adhere to the same high ethical standard and correct the inaccurate information which has been depicted in your film."

I'm sure The Pantagraph is not holding their breath. Moore is a flat-out liar.

[prairie dog]

I think Happygal summed up the paper's legal counsel's thoughts in a nut shell on the other thread:

To: SpyGuy

A suit for small damages works better in this instance in my opinion.

The newspaper carried the headline (albeit inside). Therefore, Moore's use of it on the front page for his film, would probably be condoned by the judiciary - if the paper was suing for major financial damages.

However, if the Judge sees that they are suing for small money, but on principle - the judge is more likely to swing in their favour, thus claiming the moral victory over Moore.

46 posted on 07/30/2004 11:12:27 PM CDT by Happygal (Kerry has a chin that could chop cabbage in a glass!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1182125/posts?page=46#46