COWLITZ COUNTY NEWS: HOW MANY ADULTS HAVE TO ADVOCATE VIOLENCE AGAINST A CHILD BEFORE YOU HIT DELETE?
There is a difference between reporting on a controversial issue and deliberately turning a teenager into a public target. Apparently, Cowlitz County News has trouble understanding that distinction. A local Camas cross-country runner recently qualified for the state competition. Instead of reporting on the athletic event, providing relevant background, or presenting a balanced account of the controversy surrounding Washington's athletic eligibility policies, Cowlitz County News decided to publish a politically charged post announcing that a "MALE" runner had taken yet another opportunity away from a "Biological Girl." They then used this transitioning teenager's athletic accomplishment as a political sales pitch for Initiative 638, asking followers whether they would vote YES and declaring, "Vote for the Girls. Vote for common sense." That wasn't simply reporting on a sporting event. It was an editorial position packaged as breaking news, w...