Is Willie Herenton in legal jeopardy, or is he not in legal jeopardy in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Thursday in what is being called the “honest services” case?
An online story in The Commercial Appeal Thursday said one thing and a later version of the story (repeated in Friday’s print newspaper) said exactly the opposite.
Herenton has made an issue of the fairness of The Commercial Appeal in its continuing coverage of him and especially in regard to editorial page editor Otis Sanford’s role as moderator in a televised debate (now a non-debate) with Congressman Steve Cohen.
Online news is a hungry beast. Stories are constantly updated. No newspaper’s coverage of a public figure should be judged on the basis of a single story. Yadda yadda yadda. But politics and political coverage are contact sports, and what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If The CA shot from the hip on the “honest services” ruling and then thought better of it after doing some reporting, it gives some credence to Herenton’s complaints.
