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Another failure at the Herald-Times

By Scott Tibbs, January 23, 2009

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Lack of coverage of the 2009 Rally for Life
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:58:26 -0500
From: Scott Tibbs <tibbs1973@yahoo.com>
To: Bob Zaltsberg <rzaltsberg@heraldt.com>
CC: mmaloney@heraldt.com, sschurz@heraldt.com

Mr Zaltsberg,

I am very disappointed that the Herald-Times failed to cover the 2009 Rally for Life last Sunday, a rally that drew 150 people to oppose the national tragedy and shame of abortion. The H-T was given plenty of notice and even published an announcement of the rally on December 30, nearly three weeks before the Rally took place.

I wonder, would the Herald-Times dare not to cover an anti-war rally that drew 150 people? Unfortunately, this is not new. As I pointed out in a letter to the editor two years ago, you "published a front-page article complete with huge photographs of a MoveOn.org rally that drew (drum roll, please) 13 people" and then failed to cover the 2007 Rally for Life a few days later. Your article even described the MoveOn.org protest as "last minute."

Mr. Zaltsberg, the Rally for Life occurs around the same time every year and consistently draws a large crowd. The Herald-Times is consistently given plenty of notice of the Rally, plenty of time to schedule a reporter to take notes. I have covered the Rally for the past several years on ConservaTibbs.com and I find it unfortunate that this community's primary source of local news has once again been scooped by a little read blog written by someone with no formal training in journalism.

The abortion issue is more pressing than ever for this community, especially given that the abortion clinic on South College became mired in a sex abuse scandal when a "nurse" at Planned Parenthood attempted to cover up what she believed was the sexual abuse of a 13 year old girl by a 31 year old man.

I am very disappointed that I have to write this email. This community's primary source of local news should not have to be chastised for failing to cover a large rally that has taken place every January for several years now. I strongly urge you commit this newspaper to covering events like this one, and to commit to sending reporter next year. It is too late to correct this year's error, but the Herald-Times can and should learn from this mistake.

Scott Tibbs