UPDATE 1/22: We contacted the Hibbing Daily Tribune and received this gracious and professional reply from Carrie Manners:
Thank you so much for reaching out. As our goal is always to provide accurate reporting, we reviewed the footage and our notes and agree there was an error and the placement of that error was unfortunate and by no means intentional.We have updated the article online with the correction (you may have to refresh your browser several times for the updated version to load). We also published a note apologizing for the error.As you know, accurate, unbiased journalism is imperative. Keep up the good work.
Carrie Manner
Staff Writer
On Tuesday, we watched the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus Facebook livestream of a Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy hearing about gun laws.
This morning we were surprised to read in the Hibbing Daily Tribune story by Carrie Manner and Eric Killelea, Emotions ran high at Hibbing gun control hearing (reprinted here in the Hutchinson Leader):
Should Minnesota expand background checks?
In two of the more heated debates, State Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, introduced his measures on expanding background checks and the “red flag” laws. As Latz introduced his bill, S.F. 434, an audience member hollered out about the absence of the American Flag, yelling, “No flag, no respect!” and “You’re shoving this down our throats!”
That's not what happened nor when it happened.
Latz wasn't introducing S.F. 434. Latz wasn't speaking at the time. Rather, the audience member expressed his concern toward the end of Maple Grove Republican and committee chair Warren Limmer's opening remarks (see embedded video below).
While Latz gave his opening remarks right after the episode, he didn't present on S.F. 434 until later--indeed, Senator Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, presented on S.F. 2101 before Latz's bill was on the agenda.
Limmer and Latz have never been confused with each other, as far as Bluestem knows.
Why does this inept reporting matter?
Although associating the DFL minority lead with the episode is simply incompetent reporting, the article will bolster the notion that St. Louis Park--which Latz represents in the Senate--is a hotbed of anti-flag and anti-pledge activity. And that Evil Metro DFLers hate America.
Remember last summer? In A Minnesota city voted to eliminate the Pledge of Allegiance. It didn’t go over well, the Washington Post reported:
Before long, social media was lighting up with angry all-caps reactions and vows to boycott the city. Minnesota Senate Republicans declared the decision to drop the pledge “SHOCKING.” Pete Hegseth, a weekend co-host on “Fox & Friends" who grew up outside Minneapolis, pronounced it “LUNACY."
“I’m a new and diverse resident living in St. Louis Park and eliminating the pledge doesn’t accommodate me, it offends me,” tweeted Jennifer Carnahan, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Minnesota. “And for the record, you can’t say you ‘love our country’ and then eliminate the pledge.”
We don't believe there's any intentional misinformation in the Hibbing Daily Tribune reporting. The link nonetheless will be made in the heads and social media of those inclined to place-bait between the upright, pure, patriotic rural Minnesota of Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and the Evil Metro and its DFLers.
The paper owes Senator Latz, the committee, and its readers an apology and a correction. Yes, journalism is hard, but corrections are a sign of grace (see our own at the bottom of this post).
According to a gun rights advocate who was at the meeting, his understanding was that the ballroom had been painted recently, and the hotel staff forgot to return the flag to its normal place in the room, he told us via Twitter direct message. As the Hibbing Tribune report noted, "Senate staff presented the American Flag and everyone in the room stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, quelching earlier concerns."
This incident shouldn't be a screeching point for either party and its followers in the coming election cycle. Rather, it should be a cautionary tale about sources.
As we publish this post, the uncorrected copy is still online at the Hibbing and Hutchinson papers.
Screengrab: Limmer presenting during the flag episode.
Correction: In the body of our original report, we misidentified the name of the Hibbing paper, along it was always correct in the headline.
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