THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120210
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
It would appear that The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star's move into ``public journalism'' has left Beacon Editorial Page Editor Beth Barber behind. Parts of her column ``Board and budget (continued)'' (Beacon, May 7) sound much more like rabble-rousing talk radio than responsible journalism. It is full of unsubstantiated innuendo, followed by implied negative conclusions. In particular, her reference to Dr. Van Spiva as having ``suspended his special interests - black students and custodians'' is an example of the worst kind of yellow journalism, the sort designed to inflame racial hatreds.
Several weeks ago Ms. Barber wrote an editorial attacking the ordinance, sponsored by Mayor Oberndorf and Councilwoman Strayhorn, that encourages voluntary sharing of city contracts with qualified/low bidding minorities. A major goal of the ordinance was to make sure that the decision makers would have a resource to find such contractors. Her editorial cited inaccurate statistics and made the ordinance sound like a set-aside or quota system - gross inaccuracies and self-serving manipulation of the facts. I was tempted to write at the time, but Ms. Strayhorn responded and set the record straight.
``Board and Budget (continued)'' is more of the same. Ms. Barber's stance, which seems to be that all government spending is bad, is a simplistic appeal to her readership, but is not nearly as offensive as her continuing reinforcement of racism. I had hoped that the prior editorial about the ordinance was simply an example of inaccurate and irresponsible journalism, but her wording in this column indicates that something much more malevolent is at work here.
There is no rational editorial or journalism reason to include the phrase ``suspended his special interests - black students and custodians'' in describing Dr. Spiva. It is a grossly inaccurate description of him.
I have known Dr. Spiva for several years and have debated with him on radio and television on specific educational issues. His record clearly demonstrates that he cares about all students and all employees. Why did she include the phrase? What did it add to the editorial? The answer to many of us is clear, and it is a shame that our only major newspaper permits her to publish inaccurate and racially divisive statements.
Daniel P. Richardson
Bobolink Drive by CNB