Nothing but Internet
And some radio.
While perusing around Al Gore’s Tubes of Internets, I discovered that Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam was part of an anti-gun group. I wasn’t happy about it. In East Tennessee, this could be political suicide. So, I hopped back on Al Gore’s Tubes of Internets and wrote about it on my blog and over at No Silence Here, a blog at the local newspaper’s site. See here, here and here. As a result of that and some gratuitous links from Glenn Reynolds, Steve Gill talked to Haslam about it on the radio (audio here) and Haslam was put on the defensive. So, there was a bit of backlash from my effort. I poked the mayor with a stick.
But I’m disappointed. If you don’t read the blogs on Al Gore’s Tubes of Internets or listen to Steve Gill, you have no idea this is happening. I handed the local newspaper the story on a silver platter. I posted the story on their blog. I know that some local TeeVee folks read that blog and my blog. But, not a peep any where in the local press. Your average Knoxvillian (who’d likely not be happy about this) doesn’t know it happened.
But the local newspaper has some hard-hitting stories on beefcake, planting trees, and chainsaw sculpting.
I’m used to the press ignoring gun stories, particularly positive ones. But this lack of coverage seems odd. What’s up with that?
October 11th, 2006 at 10:15 am
I’m guessing it’s because the mayor didn’t know how anti-gun the group was and moved his machine to keep the story squashed until he can sort things out?
Either that, or it’s Bush’s fault. =P
October 11th, 2006 at 11:02 am
I would love to see or hear how the group was “packaged” to Haslam… see if there were lies or disinformation involved in the recruiting.
October 11th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
As for the media not doing the story, no blood–no foul so no story.
October 11th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
So, he has to kill someone for a story?
October 11th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
They aren’t enamored of liberty for “ordinary” citizens. Duh! Hence, tree sculpting.
October 20th, 2006 at 9:22 am
[…] I criticized the local news for not covering the fact that the Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam belongs to an anti-gun group. Rich, who happened to be at the News Sentinel when I had my panties all bunched up, says: On the day in question, both the A and B sections of the paper were running long, and stories were getting bumped and trimmed to fit. I sat in on the final budget meeting of the day, and while Uncle’s story never came up, it was clear that there simply wasn’t room for another story. Add that to the balancing issues I discussed earlier, and you can understand more about how the story about Knoxville’s top bachelor made the cut. […]
October 27th, 2006 at 11:26 am
[…] Well, the fourth estate here in Knoxville is silent. In their defense, they’re also generally silent on the mayor’s alliance in general much less that the Knoxville mayor is a member. […]
November 15th, 2006 at 10:51 am
[…] It’s now been over one month since I reported that Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of the Joyce Foundation-funded, anti-gun group called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. This has been mentioned on my site and linked by instapundit, NRA News, and other local blogs; and it has been covered by radio host Steve Gill. But I’ve heard nary a peep out of the local press regarding his membership in a group whose desire is to export New York City type gun controls to other cities (NY controls include licensing, registering, only celebrities and those political connections can get permits to carry weapons, and excessive fees). […]
May 24th, 2007 at 9:52 am
[…] the Knoxville News Sentinel’s coverage of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam belonging to an anti-gun group? None. I also recall some sort of property scandal covered here by #9 that’s also not news. […]
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:17 am
[…] the tone at the top from Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is anti-gun. Why wouldn’t the cops […]
July 10th, 2007 at 8:29 am
[…] think that’s six. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam could be lucky number […]