WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS, A "Newspaper" PRINTS A LARGE ORGANIZATIION'S PRESS RELEASES, IT IS A SICK PAPER

During 1981-1983, at the Appalachian Observer in Anderson County, Tennessee, I noticed that every time Union Carbide or the U.S. Department of Energy sent a press release, the Clinton Courier News and the Oak Ridger printed it -- including the headline -- unedited.

We called that "Chain Gang Journalism." The Union Carbide and DOE varmints whose press releases were printed unedited and unattributed were responsible for the largest mercury pollution event in world history.

The St. Augustine Record employs reporters and editors, but not one covered the "story" of Flagler College's economic impact -- it simply printed the press release.

With Flagler College refusing to pay any Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) -- and Flagler College Chancellor and Republican Lord of All He Surveys WILLIAM L. PROCTOR (our State Representative) refusing to support PILOT -- the Wreckord owed us a story. Not a damn press release, printed as "special to the Record."

That is journalistic malpractice, a sign of a sick newspaper.

Time for the Record to start covering controversies, instead of covering them up.