A leaked corporate email shows that a controversial editorial ran in local newspapers, including the Peninsula Clarion, last September sought to mislead readers as to the true author of the piece.
In the email, Morris Publishing Group’s Vice President of Audience Robert Gilbert instructed on behalf of Mr. Morris that papers it owns nationwide run a pre-written editorial about refugees and represent it as a staff piece.
The email leaked by media blogger Jim Romenesko stated the pre-written editorial about “American responsibility toward mideast migrant/refugees” should be run as a local staff’s opinion piece.
Staff from Morris said the company’s CEO and founder Billy Morris often writes editorials but signs them. They reported this was the first time in their knowledge that a mandatory editorial was presented like this.
The piece titled “Reckless Endangerment”ran in the Peninsula Clarion and the Juneau Empire on September 24.
While the editorials were made to look like local staff opinions, the opening statements were identical and made the same arguments against President Obama’s administration to increase allowed refugees in the U.S.
Editors were instructed to “run it as your own editorial (not a column or op-ed), or produce your own editorial BUT MAINTAIN THE SAME POSITION.”
Ten of Morris’ 11 daily papers across the nation printed the piece between September 21-26.