News Reporting and Bias

I have been a life-long conservative and Republican. I am well aware that not everyone shares my views, and that is as it should be. But I am appalled that the bias of your paper has slipped so very far into reporting ordinary news articles.

In two articles in the June 16 edition of The Times, the writers obviously favored a particular “spin” rather than a factual statement.

On page 1, an article about the presidential race states, “Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush are locked in a dead heat among California voters . . . .” If anyone cares to look at the chart next to the words, they will note that the actual figures show Bush 49%, Gore 44%. In such polls, a 5% difference is significant. (Never mind that Fox News on that same day reported Bush 60%, Gore 28% in a similar poll.)

On page 3, another article states, “Bradley Gardner had denied having relations with inmates at Ventura School” and “had previously denied that he engaged in unlawful sex acts . . . .” To many of your readers this would imply that he was claiming he was being unjustly accused. In fact, on page 24, his attorney clearly states that Mr. Gardner took responsibility for his actions from the outset, and that any statements made were at the insistence of the attorney.

There is more than enough tragedy and bad news in the world today without our news media slanting their reporting toward the sensational because of political bias or for the sake of the almighty dollar.

THOMAS A. APPLETON, Westlake Village