Announcement for anyone who reads my column each Thursday in the Baytown Sun: Effective immediately I have quit writing for this Leftist/Socialist rag.
Thursday's (10-18-18) name change from my submitted title of "Voting 101 makes it easy" to "My voting Guide, Dems bad GOP good" effectively skewed my column and made left leaning readers skip reading my column. It was the final straw and I called the Publisher and explained this in detail. The Publisher then defended the managing editor and that is when I resigned. I will continue to write and publish my blog and post it on Facebook. Following is the entire column.
Let me clarify that I am a columnist, not a reporter or an Op-ed writer. I write my opinion. My opinion. The Managing editor is well within their right to alter the heading, but when it is done is such a partisan way, it is unacceptable and the added cartoon above my column just drove the nails of offense deeper.
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6 comments:
Briscoe Cain: Great article Bert!
Megan Ressel: I agree with every word you wrote Bert.
Sammy Mahan: Well congratulations Bert..i can now read your articals..i could not let myself read the Sun as long as David Bloom is in charge
A Wayne Henscey: I don't take the Sun and haven't in years. I check the Obits on line and that's it.
Sammy Mahan: A Wayne Henscey same here Chief..the Sun was so one sided in my last campaign
Thomas Parent: I’m glad you’ll keep writing and posting to your blog!
Charles McFadden: Very well said Bert, I,m a conservative and have been most of my life. I will continue to read your blogs. Vote Red in Novemder.
Barbara Rhoden Pugh: Wow...how can they relabel the columnto that?
Brandon Prewitt: Bert Marshall what moron is writing the cartoons? They don't even make sense.
David Cull Brandon Prewitt: y’know, If during Obama’s regime, they had been as brutal, it may have been ok. But during those eight years, it was a relentless attack on conservatives.
Mike Lewis: The Baytown Sun is now notably weaker, (and BB is notably stronger!). I am offended that they changed your articles title. How transparent.
This is exactly the kinda media bias that makes me sick to my stomach. I think media bias should be outlawed.
The government has no money except that which they take from tax paying citizens. I wish the Dem’s would contemplate this fact.
Brian Compton: The media is supposed to be biased...but not to ONE side...it's supposed to be a watchdog for both sides...but it's horribly slanted towards the dems...in so much that that the lack of criticality of dems makes them practically a propaganda machine..could you imagine what the headlines would have looked like if they had dug as hard on 0bama if they did as hard as they do as Trump or any Republican?
Laurie Jones Meyer: The Baytown Sun hasn’t been a fair and impartial newspaper since Fred Hartman stepped down and left his son in law in charge. I’m not at all surprised to hear they changed your column title. I know a lot worse things they have done. It’s sad.
Melanie Berges Ferguson: I have been sick looking at the Sun the last few years and seeing the blatant anti-Trump and anti-right headlines. The headline they gave your article was ridiculous and I couldn't believe you would write that (I should have figured out what happened). Every political cartoon is anti Trump. No respect at all for our POTUS is poor taste to say the least. Keep writing and the Sun is the loser.
Bruce Marshall: The word, "Assholes" come to mind.
Sarah Pemberton Graham: “Why can’t I cheat on my wife” “why can’t I murder people” “ why can’t I lie under oath” “why can’t I steal “. That’s another dem version of the cartoon.
Judy Hanson Barrow: Bert, you need to get your own newspaper since The Baytown Sun has turned so bias.
Caren Cox Kellogg: I’d buy it!
Kathy McClure: Me too!! I haven't even read the Sun in years because of its liberalism.... so sad.
Angie Gupton Middleton: Good for you! That stinks.. I cancelled my 30-something year subscription 5 or 6 years ago - don't miss it a'tall.
Steve Liles: Good for you. In a way I was trying to tell you this for years. But now who is going to cut and paste the nasty rag on Facebook
Natalie King Whatley: Wow. Your absence in the publication is certainly their loss!! I’m baffled that a newspaper—in a struggling industry—would be so out of touch with its audience. Most of us have in it our “toolbox” to discuss varying opinions and engage in healthy debat…See More
Steve Liles: Bert can I Twitter this post to FOX Fox News. Then to CNN
Ren Fitts: Bert.... Maybe you can start a new paper .or Blog .. Call it Baytown Stars & Stripes..... and have a section in it called "Sound Off" .... and anything goes... I bet it would take off.. and Paper would respect our Military, Veterans, Police, Fire Fighters and EMT's... ONE TEAM ONE FIGHT ...
Angie Gupton Middleton: Hey, great idea to start a competing paper for the Sun - they've never had any competition.
Gary A. Caviness: Great article Bert! Keep up the good fight for freedom of thought!
Barbara Rhoden Pugh: Knowing Bert. ..i wouldnt ever doubt anything you told me as not the truth.
Eddie Capps: I appreciate you Bert!
Cliff Mckee: So much for freedom of speech
Paul Tippett: Good for you Bert Marshall
Chelsea Barbee: Why would they change the name of YOUR article, especially to that??
Christopher Rincon: Sorry to hear that Bert but you did the right thing
Pat Morris: Great article Bert, you told it like it is as politely as you can.
Alan Dempsey: Good article Bert...You tell it like it is. Obviously the Sun is a Leftist/Socialist newspaper, like most other newspapers. What these Leftist/Socialist don't understand is that most of their readers have the same beliefs/opinions that you do. They are conservatives...The sun lost a good man when you quit their Socialist paper, Brother.
Brandon Prewitt: Alan Dempsey The problem is, these thugs believe they are the majority, so feel entitled to buck and cause trouble.
Rod Erskins: I canceled my 30+ year Chronicle subscription back when they “endorsed” Hillary!
Buddy D. Casto: Good for you Sir!!!!
Allyce Lankford: Way to go Bert!!! I’m proud of you for sticking to your principles! I’m fixing to cancel my subscription once this period is over!
Briscoe Cain: Yes!
Pat Oldham: A man has to respect himself and you do. Thank you for not yielding to liberal way of thinking. The best thing people can do is cancel their subscriptions ASAP
Lonny J Schonfeld: It's a shame that you had to walk away from something you cared about so much.
I've been around good writers most of my life, and you are a terrific writer. Besides your blog, you will find other creative outlets that won't force you to choose between your love of writing and your principles.
Steve McDaniel: Don't blame you Bert
Susan Bulgier McGuyer: It's so disrespectful to our president. I don't agree with everything he does and says and he wasn't the republic candidate I wanted to win, but since he did, I respect his position as president and I did vote for him and approve of what he's accomplished. I so agree with your column. I can support the democrats agenda.
Jerry L Jones: I fully agree with Bert that the Baytown Sun definitely leans toward Democratic politics. I just hate the extremely negative political cartoons and other negative articles the Sun prints.
Caroline Pemberton Im so sorry you wont be seen in rag again. I wont buy it if I dont have to now except to read the Obits. I detest anything Democratic Party or resembling it. They are Godless hypocrites who tell lies and love themselves even adoring perversion. Don'…See More
Michael Murphy: I think you laid out both possible directions rather well.
Steve Liles: Who needs this anyways. We finally have the silent stories. Ones burned into the few that braved the days in good old Baytown. Just last night the party didn't slow down 'till dawn. The crew of a Tabbs Bay shrimpers boat showed up about One and was ro…See More
Jerry Jones: Bert I would encourage you to keep writing for the Sun. If they are as left-leaning as you say, I applaud them for publishing your op-ed and you for sharing your point of view. As in geocaching, you solve more problems when you look at them from all angles. I don’t know why you are so upset that the editor changed the title of your piece. It is not only the right of the editor but their duty to summarize with the title in as few characters as possible.
Bert Marshall: Ah, Jerry Jones if it were only that simple. I will not write for the Sun out of principle. Also, I do not write Op-Ed's. I am a columnist who writes my own opinion and editing that by someone other than me can change my intent and meaning. My managing…See More
Bert Marshall I am a contract writer and columnist for almost 10 years with hundreds of columns submitted and published. I own my columns - they buy them and out of courtesy, I do not publish to my blog before it came out in print. My column will come out on my blog as before every thursday and maybe more often.
Mr. Bert
I just read that you had resigned. I am sorry to learn this. Always enjoyed your columns.
You have the ability to capture the thoughts that I have but not able to put on paper.
I don’t know why you resigned. Hope it is not your health. Hope it was your decision to devote time to other endeavors. If it was the Sun’s decision, then shame on them.
In Your Corner
jerry langford
Don Hollaway: Gonna miss your column. They’ve been crying that the printed press is dying. They just drove another nail in the coffin.
Susan Bulgier McGuyer: The only reason I subscribe to the sun is local events, obituaries, and the word puzzles. My husband enjoys it and he's been subscribing for almost 50 years. It has gone to almost nothing, but he still wants his paper every morning. He will miss your column.
Dear Bert,
Just saw the " This isn't Austin, SF" letter to the editor written by Darren Beam of Baytown.
If it is true that you will not be contributing to the Baytown Sun with your articles, then I am disappointed.
I know that you have your reasons for doing so, but I, personally will miss your humorous and informative
articles. I always looked forward to reading what you had to say in Thursdays paper. Please know that
what you wrote was very interesting and probably appealed to the majority of your readers. Thank You
for the time and effort you devoted to your writing and I hope you will find another way to inform.
Sincerely,
Dan Fleming
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