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News, Spin

Three’s company

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004. I don’t want Ralph Nader to hurt John Kerry’s chances, but he sure should be allowed every chance to participate. It seems, with absolutely no research, that many of the people either actively working to keep him off the ballots of all the various states or […]

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News, Spin

Drop anchor

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004. The presidential debate particulars have been announced. Jim Lehrer of PBS, Charles Gibson of ABC and Bob Schieffer of CBS will be the moderators — and PBS’s Gwen Ifill will host the vice presidential debates. Lehrer is the top news guy in public TV, with Ifill […]

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News, Spin

City editor Ray Hobbs

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004. Colleague Ray Hobbs of Little Rock died Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004. He wasn’t old, just 53, but had hepatitis C. [Link to obit has expired.] Here are two recollections of Ray. 1. In 1982, maybe 1983, I was working at a suburban Dallas daily (Irving Daily […]

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News, Spin

Kerry’s gonna win

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Friday, Aug. 6, 2004: After conducting all the research that’s necessary — licked my right index finger and held it up — I finally can make a prediction on the presidential race: Kerry will win in a landslide. I know the polls still show neck-and-neck, with less-than-expected bounce for Kerry […]

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News, Spin

Being baited

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. Newspapers are suffering because they’ve lost both anger and humor, Jimmy Breslin said in a Poynter interview in late July. My slight spin would be that we’re trying too hard to be nice. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette colleague Jennifer Hansen wrote a few Wednesdays ago (no free hyperlink […]

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News, Spin

Separation of church, press

Constitutional separation of church and press Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Monday, July 26, 2004: I want to toss an endorsement to the defense of the First Baptist Church of Springdale and its senior pastor, Ronnie Floyd. An self-proclaimed do-gooder group is trying to sic the IRS against them, citing church-state separation, because Floyd in […]