Town takes revenge on paper that backed Kerry

The Age ^ | November 8, 2004 | By Julian Coman

[johnny7]

As Democrats resign themselves to four more years with George Bush in the White House, one beleaguered newspaper is discovering the consequences of taking on the President in his own backyard.

The Lone Star Iconoclast, in Crawford, Texas, where Mr Bush has a ranch, usually covers high school football games and local court cases. But a week ago, in an editorial misjudgment of staggering proportions, the newspaper - circulation 920 - decided to endorse John Kerry in the race for the White House. Readers, wrote the paper's editor, Leon Smith, "should not rate the candidate by his home town or even his political party, but instead by where he intends to take the country". President Bush, he continued, "has let us down" on Iraq and the economy. His words did little to sway the electorate, and the President held Texas with ease. But the Iconoclast's readers, many of whom profit from the regular visits of tourists, journalists and the occasional world leader to Crawford, are furious.

The newspaper has been flooded with angry letters, readers are boycotting it and shops refusing to stock it. Mr Smith is considering pulling out of town. "The hate mail hasn't stopped," he said. "There have been about 2000 letters in all, from Crawford and the rest of our circulation area. We knew some people wouldn't like it, but the vehemence of the reaction has been extraordinary. People just glare at me in the street." The Kerry endorsement was a bold move for a paper dependent on local advertising income. Road signs around Crawford proclaim the area to be "Bush Country". Shops sell Bush badges, Bush mugs and Bush T-shirts. About 80 per cent of Crawford's 700 residents are declared Bush supporters. Almost all, it seems, have penned an angry letter to The Lone Star Iconoclast. Advertising revenue has collapsed and football coaches are refusing to allow reporters to cover their matches.

But while local readership of the Iconoclast has halved, its now-famous editorial has attracted new subscribers from Barcelona, Toronto and Dublin. Despite his plummeting circulation and the ostracism of his reporters, Mr Smith has no regrets. "We did that editorial based on principle," he said.

This week, the Iconoclast is working on an election conspiracy theory, involving possible tampering with electronic voting machines in Florida and Ohio.

[gcruse]

I'm in Florida. It was a landslide in Florida, despite manipulation by the Dems.

Every time I look at those red and blue county-level election result USA maps, it looks like Marion county, where I live, is blue.  It's been bugging me.  I finally got the vote results and Marion County went Bush by over twenty thousand votes.  So that north central Florida county that is shaped like Missouri -- AIN'T BLUE!

[Revolting cat!]

You're right, sorry, we're reading too much into your statement, but we're all on the edge, as it were, with the MSM asserting all kinds of rights for itself day in and day out and abusing the rights they already have. Rathergate anyone?

[deport]

For a perspective by someone who took sports photos for the paper in question......

Report From Crawford, Texas
Stephen Cook | October 2, 2004 | Stephen Cook

Posted on 10/02/2004 11:07:43 PM CDT by Richard Kimball

As many of you know, I have been a sports photographer for the Texas Iconoclast for the last three years. This week, the Iconoclast endorsed John Kerry over President Bush. Of course, Bush's home town newspaper endorsing his challenger made national news. While it came as no surprise to local residents, it was a chance for the national media to tout that even in Crawford, Texas, the citizens were turning against George Bush. The reality of the situation is a little bit different. As someone who has worked for the paper for a while, I know a little bit more about the story than most. While I will not reveal inside information (I believe it's unethical), here's the real scoop on what has happened.

[end snip.... click the link to read the entire article]

[Melas]

Hell man, don't be on edge, we won. It's time to relax.

[weegee]

Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING

[daybreakcoming]

In this age of high tech, only slam-dunk idiots decide who they are voting for based on their local paper's endorsement as the village idiot of this Texas paper has discovered. It is sometimes interesting to see what the curtain reveals once a newspaper does endorse. Amazing that the Houston Chronicle gave it's feeble endorsement to Pres Bush. Perhaps the dropping subscribers gave it a clue.
.

[Richard Kimball]

The only thing that bothered me was, "Football coaches are refusing to allow reporters to cover their matches."

That's a load of male bovine scatterology. Coach Murphy just won't talk to Nathan, who usually covers the games, because he doesn't like him. Also, it doesn't have anything to do with the endorsement. He got mad at him because of some stuff a long time ago, and hasn't talked to him for a long time.

I still take photos for the paper, and have full access to the sidelines. Nathan still works the press box, and Murphy will talk to anybody else after the game, including reporters from the Iconoclast.

Here are a couple of my shots from this week:

Believe me, I couldn't have gotten close enough to get these shots without the cooperation of Coach Murphy and the staff. How much access do they give me? Here's a locker room shot from a couple of weeks ago.

The link to my game notes is here, http://homepage.mac.com/stephenacook/Crawford/gamenotes.html

BTW, we beat Bruceville-Eddy 48-0 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates, and are headed to the playoffs undefeated. We've outscored the competition 398-45. This last game the starting QB was 7 of 8 for 194 yards and 4 TDs in the first half. Second team played most of the second half. If anybody wants to follow the playoffs of President Bush's hometown team, go to http://www.crawfordamerica.com. Deport, thanks for the ping to this article. The full, original article I wrote is still posted at http://homepage.mac.com/stephenacook/Random/report.html.

[Hildy]

Wow...talk about not knowing your audience!!!

[Melas]

Thanks for clearing that up. You answered a lot of questions.

[daybreakcoming]

Great pictures - what kind of camera?

[GeronL]

Press is supposed to have equal access, and this is obviously in violation of that

Tell that to WorldNetDaily which cannot get a press pass to cover Congress. Last I heard anyway.

[Tamzee]

This week, the Iconoclast is working on an election conspiracy theory, involving possible tampering with electronic voting machines in Florida and Ohio.

I wonder what their DU screennames are...

[CIB-173RDABN]

Then be so kind as to explain to me where in the Consitution it requires a high school coach grant interviews with members of the press.

Failing that, explain how someone not wishing to speak to the press is a bad thing.

I got over my "love affair" with the press years ago when I finally understood they have an agenda, and truth and fairness is not it.

[MeekOneGOP]

:^D

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[BlessedBeGod]

Darwin Award.

And he just keeps digging himself deeper.

[mlocher]

But while local readership of the Iconoclast has halved, its now-famous editorial has attracted new subscribers from Barcelona, Toronto and Dublin. Despite his plummeting circulation and the ostracism of his reporters, Mr Smith has no regrets. "We did that editorial based on principle," he said.

you have to give the guy credit for sticking with his principles (whatever they are). but every decision in life has a consequence. money talks, long live the free market (and free speech).

[freakboy]

So, if I start a newspaper, do I have the constitutional right to an interview with the President?

[Richard Kimball]

Thanks. I shoot a Canon 10D with 70-200 2.8L lens and 550EX flash. I'm saving for a 1DMarkII. BTW, I just sent an email to the Australian paper that ran this article. Here's the text:

I'm afraid your article on the Lone Star Iconoclast, http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Town-takes-revenge-on-paper-that-backed-Kerry/2004/11/07/1099781245849.html contains erroneous information. I take sports photographs for the Iconoclast, and the following statement, "Advertising revenue has collapsed and football coaches are refusing to allow reporters to cover their matches" is incorrect. If you'll go to one of my web sites, http://www.crawfordamerica.com you will see that I have full access to the sidelines for all the sports. I talk to the coaches, sell my photographs to them and the players, and consider most of them good friends. There is one reporter, Nathan, that Coach Murphy will not talk to, but they haven't talked to each other for ages, because they don't like each other. Nathan still has full access to the press box and the sidelines. Nobody has barred him from anything. Coach Murphy just won't talk to him.

I don't know where you got the information that reporters are barred from covering the games, but whoever told you that was either misinformed or lying, and if it was someone who works for the paper, please email me back and tell me who it is, because I want to call him a damned liar to his face.

Most of the stores in town will no longer carry the Iconoclast. It's called free enterprise. They don't have to carry anything on their shelves that they don't want to. The people of Crawford are good people. I wrote my opinion on this, and posted it here, http://homepage.mac.com/stephenacook/Random/report.html I've been busting my rear end to mend fences and get the paper back in the good graces of the townspeople, but the editorial writers at the paper will not let it die. Every time I get things smoothed, they write another article insulting the townspeople.

If you want to confirm the accuracy of my account, you may check my web site, or contact me at US 254-717-8931. However, it would be decent of you to correct this inaccuracy in your account.

To tell you the truth, I'm starting to get wormed, now. They have not been persecuted nearly as much as they pretend.

[mlocher]

I did not see the word PAID subscription anywhere. More like a free Internet subscription?

good point. but if subscriptions are down, the dollars advertisers are willing to shell out will drop as well.