In Our Opinion: Sometimes ‘Fake News’ Isn’t So Fake After All

IN OUR OPINION…

By, Melissa Jewett, Publisher

I know some reading this editorial might find it strange, but others who know me know that I always stand up for what I believe in and what I believe is right and just. No matter the cost.

The article the San Marcos Daily Record ran on Dec. 7 titled “Lecturer Lands on ‘Watch List’” and written by Bria Patton, News Intern was NOT fake, false or misleading news. Nor was it a hit piece.

SMDR and Ms. Patton did not do or write anything wrong. Ms. Patton interviewed students who have taken classes with senior lecturer, Rick Henderson, Texas State Department of Political Science.

I certainly hope the San Marcos Daily Record does nothing to retract the aforementioned article and/or apologize for it.

Ms. Patton did her research and wrote an extremely fair and unbiased article, and I certainly hope this does not deter her from becoming an award-winning journalist.

Of course, San Marcos Corridor News heard about the article and the uproar it caused.

We at Corridor News read the article, the letters to the editor and as many Facebook posts as we could digest. Why? We are competition to a certain extent, and an accusation of false reporting by any local organization and/or business is news. So, we set out to investigate the issue ourselves before we reported anything.

First, what I know about SMDR is they do their research and would never publish an article without doing such research.

All of us know, if you are honest with yourself, most local news media outlets can and do write articles with a slant every now and then.

To leave your own opinion ‘at the door’ so to speak, can be a very tough thing to accomplish.

Let me share the real facts on the ‘in question’ article from the Daily Record:

• An article was written in 2015 about Professor Henderson and includes Dr. Kenneth Grasso, the Chair of TXST Political Science Department and Grasso’s follow up with Henderson. Read the full article here. Grasso explained. “I have reminded Professor Henderson of the need to maintain a classroom climate that honors the principles of free and open expression while maintaining an appropriate level of civility.”
• A Snopes.com article on the history of the “Professor Watch List” website, who owns it and how long the site has been live. Read the full article on Snopes here.
• And last, but certainly not least…….Listen for yourself below. It is the complete audio from one of Professor Henderson’s students. (see bottom of this editorial)

I also have personal information that there is bias in some classrooms at Texas State University.

• I have had at least seven interns in the past who have spoken to me about their professors, classes and finals. These young adults have to write papers aiming to pass their classes and to graduate. They have to write their papers on what the professors want to hear and not what these students think or believe. They don’t believe what they are doing is right, but they know they don’t have a choice.

• For those of you who don’t know, my daughter just graduated this past spring from TXST. There have been many classes I have sat through listening live while my daughter was in her senior year, and I have heard a lot of it with my own ears.

After reading Mr. Todd Salmi’s Facebook post and comments, I had had enough and decided that someone needed to try to set the record straight.

As you can see from the PDF below, San Marcos City Councilman Scott Gregson actually says “Thanks for speaking out Todd. Using Facebook posts and other Internet posts is not news.”

Therefore, let me give you a little background.

Several years ago Mr. Gregson started the first online newspaper in San Marcos (under the names Newstreamz then changed it to San Marcos Local News) and in August of 2011, (and to not get too deep in the weeds), merged with another local online news media outlet.

Additionally, you can verify this on his financial disclosures he filed when he ran for city council (which we published and you can find it here https://smcorridornews.com/san-marcos-city-council-scott-gregson-candidate-place-5-election-filings/ (additional documentation is available.)

Therefore, Gregson currently owns a percentage of another San Marcos online media source. Some might say he had ulterior motives for dissing the Daily Record and the aforementioned article.

So, you would think that a man who has been in the news business for the last several years wouldn’t take a Facebook post to heart without doing his research right? Wrong.

Oh, but wait…. didn’t he state in that Facebook post comment “Using Facebook Posts and other Internet posts is not news?”

I guess that means he truly doesn’t practice what he preaches, as he seems to believe what he read on Mr. Salmi’s Facebook profile about the Daily Record’s “Lecturer” article is fake.

Or is it that pesky ulterior motive thing again? I wonder if he would feel that way if it was his news organization people were calling fake.

Another comment on Mr. Salmi’s Facebook post was San Marcos City Council Woman Jane Hughson.

Hughson states, “Nice Letter! But I didn’t see a correction or a retraction from the SMDR. Did I miss it?”

Here we have another city council member who is willing to believe whatever they are reading on Facebook.

I certainly hope these two city council members actually do research on the items that come before them on the city council.

And yes, these are the people that are making decisions on the future of San Marcos.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this editorial, I certainly hope the San Marcos Daily Record does nothing to correct or retract the aforementioned article.

Corridor News would like to also thank Ms. Patton for writing a well-researched and factual article.

If you would like to read the San Marcos Daily Record’s original article you can find it here.