The credibility of the Scranton Times... (Wilkes-Barre, Pottsville: to buy, live in, cost)

[johnqpublic]

y Andrew M. Seder (http://www.timesleader.com/reporter/Andrew_Seder.html - broken link) aseder@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
SCRANTON The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled kill him when presidential hopeful Barack Obamas name was mentioned during Tuesdays Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.

The Scranton Times-Tribune first reported the alleged incident on its Web site Tuesday and then again in its print edition Wednesday. The first story, written by reporter David Singleton, appeared with allegations that while congressional candidate Chris Hackett was addressing the crowd and mentioned Oabamas name a man in the audience shouted kill him."
News organizations including ABC, The Washington Monthly and MSNBCs Countdown with Keith Olbermann repeated the claim, with most attributing the allegations to a report in the Times-Tribune.
Agent Bill Slavoski said he was in the audience, along with an undisclosed number of additional secret service agents and other law enforcement officers and not one heard the comment.
I was baffled, he said after reading the report in Wednesdays Times-Tribune.
He said the agency conducted an investigation Wednesday, after seeing the story, and could not find one person to corroborate the allegation other than Singleton.
Slavoski said more than 20 non-security agents were interviewed Wednesday, from news media to ordinary citizens in attendance at the rally for the Republican vice presidential candidate held at the Riverfront Sports Complex. He said Singleton was the only one to say he heard someone yell kill him.
We have yet to find someone to back up the story, Slavoski said. We had people all over and we have yet to find anyone who said they heard it.
Hackett said he did not hear the remark.
Slavoski said Singleton was interviewed Wednesday and stood by his story but couldnt give a description of the man because he didnt see him he only heard him.
When contacted Wednesday afternoon, Singleton referred questions to Times-Tribune Metro Editor Jeff Sonderman. Sonderman said, We stand by the story. The facts reported are true and thats really all there is.
Slavoski said the agents take such threats or comments seriously and immediately opened an investigation but after due diligence as far as were concerned its closed unless someone comes forward. He urged anyone with knowledge of the alleged incident to call him at 346-5781. Well run at all leads, he said.

[SteelCityRising]

There's a reason why I'm now subscribed to the Scranton Post and the Times-Leader.

[W-B proud]

The only thing the Times Tribune is good for is wiping your a$$. But this is what happens when there is only one newspaper in your town, and no competition. That is why the Wilkes-Barre papers are more accurate and just better publications in general. They cannot afford to make a big mistake like this, and they must bring there "A" game every single day, or else the competiton will eat them alive.

[weluvpa]

Yes but one of the W-B papers is owned by the Times.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

The only thing the Times Tribune is good for is wiping your a$$. .

Although you might come down with a serious case of hemmorhoids......

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Although you might come down with a serious case of hemmorhoids......

I specifically look for the Chris Doherty ads, for my wiping needs.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Yes but one of the W-B papers is owned by the Times.

True, but it's the competition aspect of it that makes it good. The Citizens Voice cannot afford to screw up like this, because the Times Leader would be all over it like rabid dogs and vice versa. This forces them to be accurate and true. I think the more competition the better. I do not believe one entity like Times Shamrock should be allowed to own all the news publications in the region, because they can slant and put thier tilt on whatever they print. Monopoly's are not good for the consumer. That's why I like The Times Leader, they are a rogue, independent newspaper, and the last hold out to the Times Shamrock empire. Who's not to say that if Times Shamrock owned The Times Leader, and therefore all of the region's newspaper's, that in the future, to cut cost they'll combine all of them into one big regional newspaper...let's say "NEPA Today" which would cover the entire region from Pottsville to Tunkhannock and from Stroudsburg to Towanda. Everyone knows that Scranton (the homebase of Times Shamrock) would get the cake, and every other town would get the crumbs. It would be 95% Scranton area stories, and 5% split up amongst the rest of this vast region. Which would be totally wrong and unfair for everyone except people who live in Scranton. This is a very possible scenario that I dread, and probably anyone else that doesn't live in Lackawanna County. How would you guys in Scranton feel if Times Shamrock was based in Pottsville, and ran 95% Pottsville area stories that nobody up here cares about? And that was the only "local" newspaper left. Well that's exactly how the rest of our region would feel if Times Shamrock did this. Competition is good. There should be alot more of it. There should be alot more two newspaper towns. It keeps the competition honest. That's my two cents.

[Mr Yuk]

I agree. And it is scary, Times-Shamrock does own pretty much every paper from Pottsville north to the NY state line, except for the Pocono Record and the Times-Leader....and I believe they have tried to buy both of those papers in the past.

[SteelCityRising]

This is apparently now garnering national attention as well. Thus far 84 people have commented on this article on the web site of the Times-Tribune, and it has been viewed by 18,336 people. Times-Shamrock, which is the media conglomerate that operates the paper, better have a good explanation for readers tomorrow about this, especially since the Secret Service's investigation is coming up empty.

[Mr Yuk]

Its typical Scranton Times political slant. More inaccuracies printed to slander their political opponents.....just like they did to Jimmy Connors, and Gary DiBileo, to make their golden boy Chris Doherty look good.