MEMORIAL DAY, 2010

MOST GENEROUS THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY COVERAGE

FOR JIM WHELAN

 

By HARRY HURLEY

Editor & Publisher

HarryHurley.com

 

Since the arrival of The Press of Atlantic City Executive Editor and Content Director Neil Borrowski, I have strived very hard to forge a good, professional working relationship with him. He's a good guy!

 

However, I must publicly comment about an outrageous article, which appeared in yesterday's (May 31, 2010) Memorial Day editions of The Press of Atlantic City.

 

The article was about the possibility of a state government shutdown, in the event of a budget impasse between the Democrat state legislature and Governor Chris Christie.

 

Incredulously, The Press gives Jim Whelan a sub headline with his statesman-like, "sobering" remarks about the weighty subject. Then, in the body of the article, The Press quotes Whelan and his concerns. 

 

The Press goes into detail to remind the reader that the state government and the casinos were shut down during July 4th weekend a few years ago. Again, The Press gives Whelan a quote, making him look like he was against the shutdown.

 

What The Press failed to provide to its readers is the fact that Jim Whelan voted to shut down the state government and the Atlantic City Casino's during July 4th weekend ... the best weekend of the year.

 

The Press even mentions that Whelan was in the legislature when the government and casinos were shut down ... But, The Press failed to advise its readers that Whelan was there and he voted to shut down the state government and the Atlantic City Casinos.

 

This is equivalent to journalistic malpractice.

 

Sadly, this is not merely an oversight. It's a biased agenda, to make wrong look like it's right. It's sick. 

 

The Press also gave Whelan credit for introducing legislation that would prevent closing the casinos in the future ... Which is exactly what Whelan was guilty of doing in the recent past.

 

It's like a pyromaniac being given the ultimate authority to craft legislation to prevent other pyromaniacs from lighting buildings on fire. It's madness gone mad. It's Bizarro World on steroids.

 

Welcome to our era of blatant intellectual dishonesty, where the media supports the liberal ... no matter what offense they're guilty of committing. 

 

This almost tops the Press headline editorial, whereby the congratulated Whelan for hiring 50 friends at $ 50,000 each in Atlantic City ... titling him "Bold & Couragous."

 

If Mayor Langford simply replaces a vacant entry level position at $ 25,000 a year, this same Press of Atlantic City wants a forensic audit to be conducted.

 

Somehow, despite this insanity, the voters keep getting it right at the ballot box, while newspaper ink continues to dry up in record amounts. And, they wonder why their business is a dying breed.