Don Bosch and Gannett’s WBIR Attack Brian Hornback

Today, on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee Don Bosch in asking a question of Knox County Clerk candidate Amy Henley Vandergriff asked her about some of her Republican support and threw out the name of our blog Founder and President, Brian Hornback.

This episode of Inside Tennessee was taped either on June 19, 2008 or July 10, 2008. Anonymous sources within Gannett Companies WBIR alerted Hornback to the use of his name. Hornback talked with New Director Bill Shory and Gannett’s WBIR General Manager Jeff Lee. Shory indicated that he wasn’t aware of the incident but would review the episode and take appropriate action. Lee indicated that the episode had been viewed and they would air the broadcast. When Lee was asked for Hornback to have equal time, Lee responded that we do not censure Bosch and besides the show is only viewed by political junkies, denying Hornback’s right to equal time.

Regular Inside Tennessee panelist Susan Richardson Williams refutes Lee’s assertion that the show is only viewed by political junkies. Williams has said that Inside Tennessee has higher ratings than the NBC Nightly News.

When this show was taped a new story written and published nearly four weeks before the taping of the show by Hayes Hickman of the News-Sentinel accurately quoted Hornback concerning this issue of the race between Vandergriff and her Republican opponent. Here is the link to the News-Sentinel story from Friday June 13, 2008.

Here are the two paragraphs that really prove that Bosch knew what he was saying was factually inaccurate.

The former GOP official vouched for the accuracy of the quote, which he originally posted in an earlier blog entry he said was intended to offer a “taste and flavor” for all of the county candidates who ran in the Aug. 7 primary.

Hornback, however, stopped short of characterizing the statement as an endorsement. “I’ve not endorsed Amy or endorsed, or unendorsed, Foster Arnett,” Hornback said Thursday, adding that he refused an unnamed person’s request that he ask the Vandergriff campaign to remove the quote from her site. “I refuse to ask her to do that. In my opinion, it would be unprofessional of me, in light of what’s happened in the past 24 hours.”

Why would Bosch state something so obviously inaccurate about a private citizen? The belief by many observers is that Bosch is retaliating against Hornback for his blog being a constant reminder of the many stumbles and bumbles of several E.W. Scripps owned publications. Also, that Bosch is also retaliating against Hornback for Brian’s Blog being the forum that exposed the delinquent property tax status of the Republican nominee for County Clerk.

Brian’s Blog had accomplished something that no newsroom in Knoxville or East Tennessee had been able to accomplish and Bosch is carrying the water of two media entities in attempting to discredit Hornback and his blog, Brian’s Blog.

Gannett station management was put on notice nearly 5 days prior to the airing of this episode that they were airing something that is inaccurate about a private citizens actions. Has our (Brian’s Blog) coverage of the Clerk’s race been unfavorable to one candidate? Bosch and others may think so, but everything that we have reported has been accurate and we have refrained from attacking either candidate personally.

This blog provides a “taste and flavor” of local campaigns and political races that no other media in Knoxville/Knox County or East Tennessee provides. We do not allow attacks on candidates or campaigns. We report factual items. Simply because we continually fact check.

It is irritating to the news agencies with a large number of staff and salaries that they are being trumped by a blog with a small team of researchers. So they utilize a criminal defense attorney to launch their retaliation bombs. Bosch said that Brian Hornback is supporting Amy Henley Vandergriff. Support in a political campaign is 1) endorse the candidate. 2) contribute money. 3) raise money. 4) put out yard signs or distribute campaign material. along with many other activities. Brian Hornback has done neither of these things.

Words mean things and you would think that Don Bosch being a lawyer would understand the meaning of words. But there in lies the problem. Bosch is a criminal defense lawyer. The meaning of is to the likes of Don Bosch doesn’t always mean is. Because this blog has reported factually unpleasant stories about one candidate in Don Bosch’s world means that we support the other candidate? Does that mean that when Bosch represents the worst of the worst, individuals that have been accused of crimes that are morally unconscionable than does that define who Bosch is? We do not believe so. But it appears that is the standard Bosch has imposed on Brian Hornback. Stay tuned to Brian’s Blog through July 26, 2009.