Our October 13 story on CHALT has been updated to clarify that a News & Observer analysis of stories on The Local Reporter’s website found that several stories authored by members of CHALT, the editor, or board members or that quoted CHALT members didn’t identify those writers or their affiliations with CHALT. The INDY erroneously stated that about a quarter of the stories on The Local Reporter’s website were authored by CHALT members. Here’s another letter on the story from reader Lisa Braden:

There is so much wrong with this biased, degraded piece of “journalism” that instead of laying it all out I’ll just sum it up:

“81-year-old Julie McClintock, founder of CHALT”—funny how of all the people quoted in your “article” she’s the only one whose age is given. Your message, while despicably insinuated rather then overtly stated, is clear: Older people are regressive dinosaurs.

As to: “Who, exactly, in the affluent, near uniformly liberal hamlet orbiting UNC–Chapel Hill was ‘betrayed’ by the sprawling mixed-use project … was left up to interpretation,” if you actually wanted an answer to that question you might have spoken to at least one of the many locals—elected officials and others—who are quite willing to go on record as being opposed to the project. Oh wait, that might have been too close to fair and balanced journalism rather than a sloppy hit piece on CHALT and a dismissal of all but one point of view.

You re-upped this propaganda with a second love letter to Stegman on 10/21 in which you again stated that “fingers were pointed” at CHALT for the offending signs. This time you didn’t even bother to include that group’s denial.

Just whom are you serving here when you so blatantly allow only one point of view on the critical issue of what constitutes healthy growth in Chapel Hill/Carrboro? I used to rely on the INDY for thoughtful, reasoned coverage and analysis. Obviously those days are gone.


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Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.