In their Oct. 8 opinion, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel cited an AP news story as proof that it was President Obama who was dishonest during the recent debate. This article (by Calvin Woodward) actually points out areas where both the president and Mitt Romney may have been misleading. This deliberate misuse of this news report to support the paper's efforts to discredit one candidate and shine a positive light on the other candidate should be of concern to all readers.
The editors of The News and Sentinel have crossed the line between endorsing a candidate and campaigning for a candidate, complete with the usual slanting and misuse of the truth that have become standard fare in today's politics. Opinions built on distortions are not worthy of consideration. The sacred trust that should exist between a paper and its readers cannot be sustained when honesty becomes a casualty of an agenda.
Would the newspaper use such tactics on local candidates? Can we trust them to honestly report on important local, state and national issues? Does their agenda influence the stories they choose to print?
Kim McMichael
Cutler, Ohio
