My battle with the Duluth News Tribune for coverage got me a little ink. I was given the same chance as Oberstar and Grams to explain what was driving my candidacy. A dozen people have told me my thoughts were the best of the bunch. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has been another matter. I didn’t realize that my campaign wouldn’t draw any mention by them at all despite a half dozen press releases.
I called the Tribune’s reporter for northern Minnesota, Larry Oakes, and asked him about this. He told me that he had asked his boss, a Mr. Tice, about whether to write a profie on me told no. I’ve got nothing against Larry. He got me mentioned during the Grand Rapids Debate. I don’t feel so charitably disposed to his boss. I sent him this email a moment ago.
Mr. Tice,
I’m writing to complain, not as a candidate, but as an avid reader of the news. Larry Oakes tells me that you chose not to report anything about my independent candidacy in your news coverage because of some policy about excluding independent campaigns. I had no idea that newsprint had become so precious.
Of course, the candidate in me is chagrinned by this deliberate censorship, but I think the real victims of this policy are the subscribers to the Star Tribune.
If I should manage to pull 5% or 10% of the votes I wonder how you will explain such numbers given the hole in your coverage. If you are true to form you will not bother to comment.
Maybe I should have worn a feather boa.
Sincerely,
Harry Welty
Unity Party candidate
8th District Congress
www.welty4congress.org
Harry again you are right. You should always have the right to get the same amount of press. I am starting to get sick of the printed news they tent not to care about the readers only what is best for them.
Email if you would like to set up an interview for my blog, I know we had talked about it before and just been busy to get to it but it is time you at least get what you deserve from someone.