Automatic F
Submitted by James on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 8:13am
When I was in J-school back in the 70's, every student knew you'd get an automatic F for any typographical or factual error in your assignment. I imagine that's the grade Rob Christensen would get for his non-story today about the US Senate runoff. It's an article about the appeal of different candidates to different factions within the Democratic party, written without even a hint of input from voters, bloggers, or party activists.
It's not like the story doesn't have sources, of course it does. Christensen quotes three people in particular: Thomas Mills from the Marshall campaign, Morgan Jackson of the Cunningham campaign, and NC State's Andy Taylor, the most reliable source of political cliches in Raleigh.
Surprise, surprise.
J School
Would also ding you for flagrantly violating AP style in claiming that Burr holds a "lead" of 43-42 percent over Marshall with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. That's a stylistic and factual error, and it drives me crazy.
Automatic F
Rob Christensen has been a legend in his own mind for too many years.
I guess that's what happens when you think people actually care about your opinion.
Christensen's opinions and endorsements have carried little sway ever since people realized that there were other opinions available to NC citizens online.
Mike Wilburt