Local blog angered over Orlando Sentinel columnist Lauren Ritchie candidate bias in "Corrupt, Biased, and Dishonest News Media Exposed!"

Corrupt, Biased, and Dishonest News Media Exposed!
Source: Right Side of the Lake Blog, Leesburg, FL This is a great illustration of the importance of transparency and ability for requesting public records and emails of elected officials. However, Ritchie IS a “Columnist” entitled to a bias, just like the Right Side of the Lake, or this blog, but we just don’t always know what Lauren’s bias is. Columnists are not journalists. However, bias does creep into stories posing as “journalism” or “news”.For instance, the Orlando Sentinel AND the Daily Commercial constantly publish biased “Global warming” or “environment news” articles from the Associated Press as “news” on the front page, when they distort known facts about “global warming” and “climate change”. Conclusion:I think this is the pot calling the kettle black. We all know Ritchie is biased, just like this blog and Right Side of the Lake.However the point that her columns constituted “in-kind” donations seems interesting. Does that mean candidate Breeden should have placed an “in kind” value on supporting article by this blog and Right Side of the Lake? Vance JochimFiscalRangers.com If this article is not readable, go to their website: http://lakecountygov.info/2016/09/20/5377/    

 



Exclusive # BREAKING NEWS # ExclusiveCorrupt, Biased, and Dishonest News Media Exposed!
Secret Lauren Ritchie Email Shows Support for Conner While Slamming BreedenThe majority of Americans agree with Presidential Candidate Donald Trump that the news media is corrupt, biased, and dishonest and there is no exception when it comes to the propaganda printers here in Lake County.
 
In a breaking news exclusive to the Right Side of the Lake, we have obtained copies of emails that were exchanged between Lake Sentinel Columnist Lauren Ritchie and Republican County Commissioner District 3 Candidate Wendy Breeden, which demonstrate Ritchie’s unbridled support for incumbent Jimmy Conner. However, these emails also suggest Ritchie may have coordinated attacks with the Conner campaign, which are blatant campaign violations because her columns were not treated as “in-kind” donations. 
 
On Friday, August 12, 2016 at 9:10 p.m., Wendy Breeden responded to an email from Lauren Ritchie wherein she was trying to bait the candidate into a position on sand mines, which was clearly being orchestrated on behalf of the Conner campaign. Breeden wrote in her email to Ritchie, “I pretty much know who this article will favor.”
 
At 9:23 p.m. that same day, Ritchie responded with an email encouraging Breeden to change her mind on the response and then she wrote the following, “You are right that I do favor Jimmy, not so much for his sparkling personality as for his voting record, which I have found to be pretty stable and generally up my alley.” Lauren Ritchie’s admission of support for Jimmy Conner disqualified her and the Lake Sentinel from being unbiased news reporters and columnists. It is at that point she became an official part of the Jimmy Conner campaign.
 
Not only can we prove that Lauren Ritchie attacked Wendy Breeden on behalf of Jimmy Conner, she did so with the total and complete backing of the Orlando Sentinel. Consider the following columns and information printed in the Lake Sentinel after Ritchie declared her support of Conner to Breeden.
 
August 12, 2016 — “Stooge robs vote from thousands” by Lauren Ritchie
 In this column, Ritchie quotes Conner and tries to make a case that something was done wrong by Breeden when the race between Conner and Breeden was closed by a write-in candidate.
 
August 12, 2016 — “Conner, Breeden meet in contentious race” by Ryan Gillespie
In this so-called news story, a prominent picture of Conner is used and the majority of the article is an attack piece that could have been easily written by the Conner campaign. Breeden is forced to defend herself against Conner and the Lake Sentinel reporter. There is no semblance of fairness.  
 
August 13, 2016 —“‘Issues’ in Conner-Breeden race are smoke screens” by Lauren Ritchie
 This was a campaign commercial for Conner defending his record and championing his positions, especially on the sand mine. Ritchie hatefully wrote of Breeden and went so low as to try to make a campaign point for Conner by discussing Breeden’s property taxes. Ritchie wrote of backroom deals while making one of her own with Conner.
 
August 18, 2016 — “Impact-fee position would benefit family” by Lauren Ritchie
 In this column, Ritchie now says that Breeden is not only getting money from the sand mine companies but she is running for the commission seat to help her brother’s company by rolling back impact fees so developers can build 16,000 homes. She spews a narrative that is completely fabricated by the Conner campaign without one shred of truth and devoid of any facts. It is a total lie and merely a hit piece to bolster the Conner campaign.
 
August 27, 2016 — “Maxwell: Truth? Lie? Time for Malarkey Meter” by Scott Maxwell
 In this piece of biased reporting, the Orlando Sentinel defends Conner for being called a “liberal bully” in a mailer by a political action committee. First, it’s true, and no one in their right mind can defend Conner’s abusive behavior. But why does an Orlando Sentinel columnist feel the need to defend Conner on a typical political mailer? Our guess is that he is trying to sway the election.
 
September 8, 2016 — “Chump of the Week: Wendy Breeden” by Sentinel Editorial Board
 This was a week and two days after the election and it proves the corrupt, biased, and dishonest position of the Orlando Sentinel and Lake Sentinel. They called Wendy Breeden the “Chump of the Week” because she ousted incumbent Jimmy Conner on a vow to reduce impact fees on home builders. That is a lie. Wendy Breeden did not run her campaign on impact fees nor on a vow to reduce them. In fact, she told the local home builders association she supported impact fees.
 
Based on the current advertising rate of the Lake Sentinel, the Jimmy Conner campaign should declare $6,700 for “in-kind” donations and we believe this is an actual violation of state election law. An actual complaint could be filed against the Lake Sentinel and the Jimmy Conner campaign for their coordinated efforts.
 
Lauren Ritchie Violates the Orlando Sentinel’s Code of Ethics
 When Lauren Ritchie declared to Wendy Breeden that she supported Jimmy Conner, she then wrote three columns endorsing Conner’s positions while slamming Breeden. She violated her newspaper’s own code of ethics. 
 
The Orlando Sentinel’s ethics policy states:
 
“Political Activities. Political organizations present particular challenges. Donor lists are public information, so there are no “private” donations to a party or cause. For that reason — and because it would be impractical to police exceptions — no Editorial staffer, whether involved in political coverage or not, may donate to or be active in such groups.”
 
Later in the policy, it states is section #5 — The Florida Statutes exempt editorial endorsements as being considered a contribution. It does not exempt columnists and reporters.
 
Two facts about Lauren Ritchie. When she said she favored Jimmy Conner and then acted accordingly as a political operative, Ritchie became active in the Conner campaign.
 
Then, by her own columns which can be considered nothing but endorsements for Jimmy Conner, and given she is just a reporter and columnist, she is not exempt from the campaign laws of the state of Florida. In essence, Ritchie made “in-kind” donations to the Conner campaign.
 
Do we think the Editors of the Orlando Sentinel will follow their own ethics policy? Hell, no! That is the reason why the media is so corrupt. The purpose of this column is to demonstrate clearly how corrupt, biased, and dishonest the media is and that nothing Lauren Ritchie writes should be trusted. 
 
If the Orlando Sentinel has any integrity they would immediately terminate Lauren Ritchie for her clear violations of their ethics policy and for destroying the integrity of their newspaper.