Thu, March 11, 2010 5:11 pm
Cc: dhampton@clarionledger.com and others
Stringfellow wrote:
Your email on Wednesday March 10 was expected but still disappointing. You and Editorial Page Director David Hampton need to explain to your readers and the journalism industry the logic that went into the decision to kill my column about the First Lady’s visit to Brinkley Middle School.
During our conversation on Monday evening, you said you hoped that I would continue to write weekly and that you would appear on my TV Show, Direct Line with Eric Stringfellow, in two weeks. You said you didn’t mind me sharing with my audience that you refused to publish the column as long as I shaped it “as a private disagreement between us.”
I couldn’t do that. (TV commentary attached.) My credibility, your credibility as well as The Clarion-Ledger’s is at stake. I also had to think of my students. We have to be examples.
On Monday evening, you said you didn’t believe the thesis of my column, which was that people in the audience at Brinkley were offended by what appeared to be a blatant breach of protocol. Mayor Harvey Johnson was on stage but wasn’t allowed to speak. Superintendent Lonnie Edwards was in the audience as Republican Gov. Haley Barbour
You mentioned that the column contained no quotes and you suspected people like Mayor Harvey Johnson
Given the courtesy of a telephone call, all of this could have been addressed. Your response was that it was late, it had been a long week at that on Friday you were anxious to get home to see your son who was home from Ole Miss. You know that this was not a column for Saturday publication. It was set to run on Monday, meaning we have the entire weekend to address. I was stunned when News Editor Ben Kelly, who I called on Sunday night to make sure the updated column didn’t have any problems, told me the original column was not on the page.
It is interesting that you would question the validity of this piece in that only through my diligence did you apparently discover its existence. On Friday Gov. Haley Barbour’s
I was curious that you thanked me for my “contributions as a freelancer over the years.” For the record, I started at The Clarion Ledger, my hometown newspaper, in November of 1982. I believe you were still at Ole Miss. I worked county government and City Hall
Your email also speaks to your respect of the “great relationships” that I have built with many of its leaders and you specifically mentioned Mayor Johnson over the telephone. I have known Johnson and his wife for more than 25 years. Some of the most difficult columns that I have written came during his first two administrations. I was tough but I was fair, although he and wife Kathy would probably disagree. I did speak with Johnson but I called him. He was not happy but chose to be gracious. If you watched the show, you should have heard former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, who called the circumstances about Obama “curious.”
We also talked about whether you are out of touch with the Jackson community. I believe you are. Your triangle, unless it has changed since 2007, is made up of work, church and home. That is inadequate.
Good luck with the newspaper. Even though I left the newspaper’s full-time employee more than three years ago people are convinced that I still work for the paper. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate still does not speak. He is convinced that I am responsible for an editorial that mistakenly called him European instead of African American.
Your email may help.
Please know that I am not going away. Cleveland has tried to rehire me at least three times. I have turned two jobs at the News and Observer in Raleigh, N.C. I also turned down the Houston Chronicle, The Detroit Free Press and the Philadelphia Daily News. Jackson is home. I plan to be here.
Thank you for listening. Both you and David Hampton have an open invitation to appear on Direct Line.
eds
Eric D. Stringfellow
Assistant Professor and Chair
Department of Mass Communication
Tougaloo College
500 W. County Line Road
Jackson, Ms. 39174
(601) 977-xxxx
___________________
From: [Agnew’s e-mail address]
To: [Stringfellow’s e-mail address]
CC: [David Hampton and Don Hudson’s e-mail addresses]
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:58:45 -0500
Subject: With appreciation
Eric,
I’ve made the decision to no longer run your column in The Clarion-Ledger. I thank you for your contribution as a freelancer over the years, and for your community involvement. I respect you for your commitment to Jackson and for the great relationships that you have built with many of its leaders. The newspaper has simply decided to go into another direction. Given this decision, I believe it is best that I decline an appearance on your television show as I had indicated I would fulfill. I wish you nothing but the best, now and in the future. RA
Ronnie Agnew
Executive Editor
201 South Congress St.
Jackson, Miss., 39201
clarionledger.com
601-961-xxxx
Some of the most passionate conversation, at least in my neighborhood, during the last six years or so has been about Gov. Haley Barbour
I am a Barbour fan, not of his policies but of his talent. How many folks with a Yazoo County drawl can build an international business that sold for zillions?
The governor also reminded us last week that he was one on the nation’s most gifted politicians during First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to Jackson.
Barbour is carrying the flag in the GOP’s assault on the president’s agenda but still managed to do a day-long waltz with the First Lady as the local big shots in the president’s where pushed to the back.
Barbour’s gifts, perhaps coupled with the White House’s political incompetence, made part of Obama’s show offensive.
There were six people, for example, on stage at Brinkley Middle School, including Mayor Harvey Johnson
All but the mayor graced the podium. Johnson was never allowed to publicly welcome the First Lady on her historic visit to his city. That was unbelievable.
Even more inconspicuous was Jackson Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards. His seat was in the gallery and he was practically invisible until being acknowledged by Obama.
By any standard, this was a serious breach of protocol and good manners.
The indignities were not just related to the public show.
There was also what was called a brainstorming session with Obama to talk about strategies to fight obesity, a session moderated by the governor. Among those in attendance was Johnson, Edwards, Dr. Aaron Shirley as well as some folks who probably need GPS to find Brinkley.
Edwards was allowed to share brief opening remarks. Johnson didn’t have a “speaking role” but improvised and welcomed the First Lady. He was forced to speak over a White House staffer who was insisting that it was time to go. Interestingly, Greenville Mayor Heather Hudson was at the table and offered remarks.
Then there was the system used to screen the audience, mostly a who’s who of Jackson, plus some lawmakers who were Democrats. Even though the event was invitation only, school board members, city councilpersons and state government types spent a couple of hours in line in the cold. Given the historical and cultural significance of the Obama’s visit, how could some of the details have been handled so poorly?
Dan Turner, Barbour’s spokesman, said the White House scripted the event. Josh Sergen, a White House advance press officials, referred all queries to a White House website. An email sent Friday had not been returned Sunday.
What’s clear is that there was no coordination among the Governor’s Mansion, City Hall
The good news is that the politics didn’t register with the students. They gave Obama a rousing welcome. Unfortunately, most of the adults seemed to get it. They left offended about either the governor’s insensitivity or the White House’s ineptness.
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