As a trained journalist, I must say your recent issue’s coverage of the “big box store” controversy was downright shameful.
Your front-page story covering Hamilton resident Clover Quinn’s petition was one-sided and blatantly revealed the publication’s bias on the issue — even though the “evidence” presented in favor of Quinn’s position was based on empty conjecture and a lot of fear-mongering. Such “evidence” would have been fine had the author of the story also added the other side’s two-cents’ … but I guess the Star, in its reporting, isn’t about presenting both sides.
There was also the “letters to the editor” section in the same issue: Heading off the section in big bold type from one letter-writer was a piece called “Keep Walmart out of the Bitterroot” (with the author herself given an actual byline, something I’ve NEVER seen happen on the op-ed page of a newspaper unless the writer in question was staff, a prominently-known “guest” or syndicated writer).
And that was it. The rest of the letters were focused on the upcoming elections or issues unrelated to the presence of “big box” competition in the Bitterroot Valley. Again, who cares about the other side’s opinion, right?
That’s just sloppy, folks.
I don’t know if the Bitterroot Star actually calls itself a “newspaper”.
What I do know is that it certainly presents itself as one.
Jason Cornelius
Victor