Published: November 07, 2008 11:08 am            

A 'slap in the face'

Editor:

On Nov. 4, 2008, the history of the United States was changed forever with the election of Barack Obama as president. Television, radio and newspapers around the world gave prime coverage to this event.

On the contrary, the McAlester News-Capital, which is touted as an award winning publication, limited coverage to the 14th page of a 14 page daily news paper. Obviously, prejudice is alive and well in this publication. The losing candidate was at least awarded a spot on page five with a victorious looking photograph.

The type of journalism that awards front page coverage to a local elected official whose child has made a mistake (several months ago cover story) but diminishes the importance of the election of a United States president is a slap in the face to the intelligent people in the McAlester area.

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, this historical election will affect each of us as Americans and every newspaper has a responsibility to serve us with appropriate unbiased coverage of the election, rather than with prejudiced journalism.

Glenn and Jerry Davis

McAlester



Editor:

As the president of the Pittsburg County NAACP, I have had several calls about the disrepect that your paper has shown to your subcribers and citizens of this historical election of the president of the United States in the person of president-elect Barack Obama, the nation's first African American president, who appeared on page 14 of your paper on Nov. 5.

It’s a slap in the face to all who read it as our country turned a new page in our history. Was it not good enough for the front page of your paper?

Miller M. Newman

President

Pittsburg County NAACP



Editor:

I think your not reporting the presidential election on the front page is very disrespectful. You did not mention anything about such an historic assurance as what the world witnessed last evening.

We elected a new president which happened to be the first African-American. Major newspapers in this country ran out of copies because the public could not get enough. They had to rerun copies to satisfy their readers. But not you, because it wasn’t important enough to even make front page.

Vera Cole

McAlester



Editor:

I have a question regarding your newspaper of Nov. 5, 2008. After the most historic nationwide presidential election in decades, why was the story and picture of the President-elect Barack Obama on the back page of your newspaper and the story and picture of a local politician on the front page? Does anyone else find this strange? Just wondering.

Mollie Shannon

McAlester

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.