Last Tuesday I posted “What’s With The Post’s Lisa Rein?” here, noting that she has quoted anti-tax advocate James Parmelee in at least 20 stories in the past two years. She’s not the only one at The Post with Parmelee on speed dial. A Lexis-Nexis search turns up nearly 100 instances over the past two years of Parmelee being quoted in the paper’s stories – about once a week.
Last week, he was a star. Not only did he appear in Rein’s story, but he was quoted in two different stories (here and here) yesterday and had his picture with his name in the cutline.
Worse, his quotes do nothing to illuminate the questions, and Post reporters allow him to make uncorroborated statements, as in the story about the state’s budget debate:
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t fund the disabled children or not fund the hospitals and nursing homes,” said James T. Parmelee, a tax opponent who sits on the board of the state’s Department of Medical Assistance Services. “But there are more effective ways we can provide these services — so that people on the waiting list can receive what they need, but we can also balance our budget without raising taxes.”
OK. What ways? Did reporter Chris Jenkins even think to ask? (
Posted in: Uncategorized.
Last Modified: March 1, 2004