Colin McNickle Responds

Ms. Overholser —

I found your recent posting “Omitting Telling Details” both laughable and tragic.

The larger question is my employer, not that I never got an answer to what even The New York Times was forced to admit was a perfectly “reasonable” question?

Furthermore, you, supposedly the paragon of journalistic whatever, link to a Max Blumenthal blog that is so factually bereft that it would be filed under “fiction” in any library.

Just one example is the smear of my days with UPI (as a bureau chief in two cities and as the broadcast editor for Pennsylvania based in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, no less). Sorry to burst all you liberals’ notions, but I didn’t work for the Rev. Moon — I left UPI for the AP in 1991 and well before Mr. Moon bought the wire service.

And you and Mr. Blumenthal -– you by your link, Blumenthal by his writings — show your utter ignorance of economics by finding something nefarious about F.A. Hayek’s writings on free-market economics and the well-proven dangers of socialism. The “linkage” to Alfred Jay Nock -– “he was a hysterical anti-Semite … ” –- is equally ludicrous. What, that makes ME an anti-Semite? That’s like saying anyone who ever quoted Sen. Robert Byrd must be a Klansman.

And, indeed, if you study the economics of Gov. Ed Rendell, they ARE more socialistic than free-market. In fact, it’s a textbook case.

Let’s address the real issue here –- Mrs. Heinz-Kerry said something publicly for which any reporter worth his salt would seek clarification/expansion. What did she mean? We still don’t know. Attempting to kill the questioner won’t get us the answer.

Thank you,

Colin McNickle
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

From: Colin McNickle
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 1:50 PM
To: Overholser, Geneva
Subject: Oh, and a post script

Ms. Overholser-

And one more thing –- Blumenthal refers to “Alfred Jay Nock.” It’s “Albert,” actually.

Cheers,
Colin McNickle

From: Overholser, Geneva
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 2:23 PM
To: Colin McNickle
Subject: RE: Incredible

Dear Colin McNickle,

Thanks for your feedback. Feel free to post it publicly (if you haven’t) on the Poynter site.

Meanwhile, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. To me the issue is not whether you asked a logical question (I think you did), but whether Heinz-Kerry would have every reason to be suspicious of and annoyed by an encounter with a reporter who comes from a clearly unfair/imbalanced newspaper that has tormented her in the past.

Geneva

Geneva Overholser
Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting
Missouri School of Journalism, Washington bureau

From: Colin McNickle
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 3:01 PM
To: Overholser, Geneva
Subject: RE: Incredible

Dear Geneva —

Agree to disagree? On some basic facts of the issue that you purposely misrepresent? Geesh.

When’s the last time -– if ever -– that you have actually read a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, news or editorial section, cover to cover? Perhaps you’d like to see a few issues…

And, please post my response; I think you have a responsibility to do so.

Cheers,
Colin.