Erie Time-News headline editor grossly mis-states letter's intent

In the headline over a letter to the editor Friday, the Erie Times-News wrote: "School boards to blame for pension woes"

Whoever wrote the headline obviously didn't fully read or comprehend the well-written letter submitted by Selina Servideo of North East.

She wrote: "What caused the shortfall? Not the employees who benefit from the fund. Every employee contributes 7.5 percent of salary to PSERS. Employees have always responsibly contributed to their pensions, but the same can't be said for all school districts and the state (my emphasis).

"Before 2001, contributions were split essentially equally between the district, the state and the employees. But while employee contributions rose from 6.25 to 7.5 percent after 2001, the state and districts gave themselves a contribution "holiday" over the past decade and contributed almost zero percent in the years following 2001.(my emphasis).

Ms. Servideo further wrote: "The state and districts essentially gave themselves a "Buy now! Pay Later! No Money Down!" deal, and now that the bill's come due, they want the taxpayers, students and teachers to pay for their recklessness."

If the editor who wrote the half-correct headline had bothered to read to the middle and end of the letter, he or she would not have grossly mis-stated its full and valid thrust.

Letters to the Erie Times-News editor: A more realistic interpretation

In recent months the Erie Times News has published in its Letters to the Editor columns two letters from out-of-towners praising the newspaper. For example, here's one of them published today, with the editor's self-adulatory headline:

Letters to the editor:

Morning starts right with newspaper

My family and I were recently in North East for a visit with family and friends. Every morning, without fail, the morning paper from the Erie Times-News was at the door, and all of the adults sat down to read it from cover to cover with much anticipation. What a great newspaper. Thank you for doing such a good job. The paper made our vacation all the more enjoyable. Keep up the good work.

Sue Dawson Ostrom|West Bend, Wis.

This letter is similar to one published a couple months ago from a Connecticut woman visiting Erie.

Obviously, the Times-News considers these letters to be positive statements enhancing its image.

But there's another implication which projects a contradictory image. One never sees letters from local readers complimenting the newspaper unless it's to comment on the writer's self-interest, such as thanking the newspaper for an article or photo that flatters the letter writer, whether a person or an institution.

That's because local readers are highly aware of and sensitive to the local newspaper's generally inferior and self-serving editorial and journalistic practices which are contrary to the norms and high standards newspapers should espouse. Out-of-town readers, of course, see only a narrow snapshot of the Times-News' news and editorial output which is wildly out of context with the broad reality of its infectiously corrupt and anti-journalistic practices.