Boston Herald Wins Lawsuit Over Protected Opinion Coverage

[From article]
The court ruled, in a unanimous decision, that the paper’s coverage concerning the suicide of former Boston lead singer Brad Delp was opinion protected under the First Amendment.
Scholz sued the Herald in 2010, claiming that articles published by the Herald’s Inside Track columnists in March 2007 implied that he was responsible for Delp’s decision to take his life.
The court ruled otherwise.
[. . .]
In the 23-page decision, the court was clear the coverage of Delp’s March 9, 2007, suicide was based on opinion.
Scholz’s law firm, Todd & Weld, referred a request for comment to the rocker’s publicist, who said Scholz was “disappointed that the court has decided to allow a tabloid newspaper to avoid having a jury decide the facts.”
The Herald’s position was supported by a friend of the court brief filed by more than 25 newspapers and journalist groups, including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the American Society of News Editors, the National Press Club, Time Inc., National Public Radio and The Washington Post.
The court also upheld the Superior Court’s ruling requiring Scholz to pay the Herald over $132,000, not including interest, for the court costs incurred in defending against the litigation.
[. . .]
"The ability of journalists to interpret information they present to the public is a vital component of free speech,” National Press Club President John Hughes said. “We are relieved this essential activity will not be curtailed.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2015/11/news_groups_praise_heralds_victory_in_free_speech_case

News groups praise Herald's victory in free speech case
Joe Dwinell, Owen Boss

Thursday, November 26, 2015
Joe Dwinell for Boston Herald
joed@bostonherald.com

Boston Herald, AP Show Negative Bias Toward Disabled Persons

[From article]
Vernon police had said they were concerned for the boys' safety. [Jackie Morris, 32, the mother's] relatives told officials that she had a history of mental illness.

Relatives of a suspect reveal her medical records. Journalists repeat them in print. In this case it is a wire story. But the Boston Herald has no standards protecting medical records if the person is accused of mental illness. After years of complaints the Boston Herald (and the AP) continue to exhibit a negative bias toward persons with disabilities. For the Boston Herald (and the AP) privacy rights of persons with disabilities have less privacy protections than non disabled persons. Homosexuals would be attacking this as hate speech.  CNN would give it wall to wall coverage.
 
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/05/3_connecticut_children_mother_found_safe_in_maine

3 Connecticut children, mother found safe
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
By: Associated Press
Boston Herald

Great Journalism Issues

Interesting issues raised by this story about misguided journalism. (Jessica Heslam, "NECN tweets from the hip," March 21, 2013, Boston Herald) One is that Twitter is not dangerous but the people who use it are. It is only a tool. Same is said about guns. But if it is the people who are dangerous can it be that the Vice President is a dangerous person for his many errors misspeaking? He is the Vice President.  Does he get the do-overs as the NECN Twitterer got? Of more concern is the Globe reporter's comment that "NECN is a trusted source." Huh? That is like the seniority argument. "I've done this for 45 years. You're questioning me?"

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/jessica_heslam/2013/03/necn_tweets_from_the_hip

NECN tweets from the hip
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Boston Herald
By:Jessica Heslam

Boston Herald Indicates Lack of Common Sense

An irrational headline suggests mental illness causes crime and violence. PC journalists in Boston would never suggest that a person's race or sexual preference was the cause of violence or crime. This reporter ignorantly implies that disability causes violence and crime. Control freaks who run the psychiatric industry with support from human services corporations promote drug treatment by encouraging irrational fears. It is good for business. Persons with disabilities become isolated. Only professional drug pushers or violent police who often shoot disabled people due to their irrational fears will interact with them. Irresponsible journalists as in this article exacerbate the problem. This journalist shows his ignorance by ignoring the proven connection between psychiatric drugs and violence. There is no causal connection between an accusation of mental illness and crime or violence except in his biased mind.

This is the third article in the shameless Boston Herald quoting a housing administrator as the source of a psychiatric diagnosis. Why does he have access to the medical records; and why does he reveal them to the public? He should be suspended and fined.

If the murder was committed by use of a pillow would the headline read, "Mentally ill slay suspect, diagnosed by a housing administrator, obtained pillows."? Common sense is absent in the reporting of this incident. Is it vacation time with interns running the Boston Herald asylum?
[See also this biased report on WFXT-TV FOX25 Boston at
http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com/2011/08/fox25-wfxt-tv-boston-ma-bias.html

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_0813mentally_ill_slay_suspect_obtained_firearms_card/srvc=news&position=also

Mentally ill slay suspect obtained firearms card
By John Zaremba
Boston Herald
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Obama Denies Boston Herald Reporter Pool Access

http://bostonherald.com.nyud.net/news/regional/view/2011_0518headlinegoes_white_house_shuts_out_herald_scribe/

White House shuts out Herald scribe

By Hillary Chabot
Boston Herald
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

* * *

http://bostonherald.com.nyud.net/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1338750

Obama off the deep end
By Joe Battenfeld
Boston Herald
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

* * *

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_0519obama_swimming_in_shallow_end_of_pool/

Obama swimming in shallow end of pool

By Howie Carr
Boston Herald
Thursday, May 19, 2011

* * *

http://bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2011_0519romney_prez_cant_handle_the_truth/srvc=news&position=recent_bullet

Mitt Romney: Obama can’t handle the truth

By Dave Wedge
Boston Herald
Thursday, May 19, 2011

* * *

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_0519critics_should_doubt_prez_not_protocol/

Critics should doubt President Obama, not protocol By Joe Battenfeld
Boston Herald
Thursday, May 19, 2011

Politician Attacks Newspaper

Re-elected by mindless voters in MA, the Honorable Barney Frank revealed that the Boston Herald is irrelevant. Perhaps but at least the editors there try to inform their readers and taxpayers. Unlike Mr. Frank and the Globe editors who continue to mislead and to deceive the voters. A deceived voter will always vote for a Democrat, because they vote for a media image.

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1294150

Kujo, it’s about time your luck ran out

By Howie Carr
Boston Herald
Friday, November 5, 2010

Readers on Obama

[aadams, in reader comments in Boston Herald, November 2, 2010]

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1293540

Change must start with President Obama

By Margery Eagan
Boston Herald
Wednesday, November 3, 2010



Obama was a 'creation' of 2 forces, a declinging political party and the wall street oligarchy.


1) The promoted A person with no proven track record of actual Represesation of people of different colors than himself, of different religions than himself, in other words of representation of constitutents (ALL the constituents) and what has his conduct shown us in the last 2 Years: he will only protect his own even at the expense of the country's coffers and well defined laws. He was allowed to loot for his own as a reward for not working for the country.


Obama is proof that you need a period of time between a minority status and the resentments that accompany that status and assuming a position that require the conduct of someone that is accepted and performs for alll the people.

So with the party declining in ideas and members, it hits on crafting a media candidate.
The get an 'idea' that a multi race guy. Then they groom him from his harvard days to never take a position so he will never be criticized.

Then they pair him with more groomers in chicago and withing a few years they have the "it" candidate.

Now we see the insidiousness of these media creations to the lives of americans and our well being. . Candidaes are coming out of public relations companies. ( the repubs did not learn this and now we have marco rubio being prepared to be shoved down our throats)


2) Obama has never taken a position so the media can sell to sell him as "brilliant" (ha ha ) 'astute' thoughtful leader' but all subsitutions for action.

3) his other creators the oligarchy have their piece of clay to mold. The oligarchy has been running the economy since Obama took over and right before the eyes of the entire country, they for the last 2 years undone centuries old property laws in order to protect their gambling debts and keep their route to finacial recovery open.

To do this the used the 'bought and paid academics to convince us everything os ok.

So that is what what we have been fed in Obama and rightfully the country has rejected it. The country will reject the Obama clone, Marco Rubio when they try the same media campaign on him. ( incidentially another out group resentful guy)

The alst 2 years have been a nightmare for this country and Obama has to go by resignation or clearly by being put out in the next election.

But the people still have a lot to do on state and federal level to take back the country.

Zuckerman to Buy Boston Globe?


The current and previous owners of the Globe did not serve the public being allied with abusive government interests. Unions are another issue. The primary interest (after solvency) is keeping the voters informed which few newspapers do today. Murdoch's papers do a great job in New York state exposing government abuses daily. Oversight agencies react to what the NY Post exposes. The Boston Herald does that to a lesser extent in Boston. The Globe was and is part of the problem of one-party corrupt government in Massachusetts. Mort Zuckerman does a good job with US News. He has a rational view of the world unlike the current editors of the Globe.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2009_04_14_Union_foe_Mort_Zuckerman_may_be_mulling_Globe_buy/srvc=home&position=2

or

http://tinyurl.com/c3xghl

Union foe Mort Zuckerman may be mulling Globe buy
By Jessica Heslam
Boston Herald
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 -

Clearing His Name Boston Herald

Clearing His Name Boston Herald

On September 11, 2007 you published a story (below my signature) saying
that Gregg Moree Cambridge City Council Candidate, was accused of beating his
wife. On October 15, 2007 the Cambridge Chronicle published the story (below
these comments) of his acquittal. Is this a recurring pattern of printing the
charges but not the acquittals? How does a person get his reputation back after
journalists help the government destroy it?
I spoke with a man (Mark?) at your City Desk on Wednesday October 18, 2007
about this matter. As of this date there was no story about the court's action.


Jury finds City Council candidate not guilty of beating wife with umbrella
Matt Dunning/Chronicle Staff
Mon Oct 15, 2007, 06:20 PM EDT

Cambridge - A jury Monday found a City Council candidate not guilty of breaking
into his Belmont home and beating his wife with an umbrella, but he still faces
charges he violated a restraining order.

Monday afternoon an eight-member jury found 50-year-old Gregg Moree, a candidate
for City Council, not guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and
breaking and entering.

�We�re very happy with the outcome of the trial,� said Doug Scorano, Moree�s
attorney.

During his closing arguments, Scorano said the state had not presented nearly
enough concrete evidence to prove Moree�s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

�The Commonwealth has handed you a rotten piece of meat and called it steak,�
Scorano said. �Where is the credible evidence that this assault took place?�


--
Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
PO Box 400297
Cambridge MA 02140 USA
http://enoughroom.blogspot.com
http://enoughroomvideo.blogspot.com

Abuse charges rain down on candidate; Cops: Cambridge man beat ex with umbrella
DAVE WEDGE. Boston Herald. Boston, Mass.: Sep 11, 2007. pg. 2
Abstract (Summary)

Gregg Moree, a progressive activist running for council, is slated to go on
trial next month - just weeks before the election - on charges he broke into his
ex-wife's home and beat her with an umbrella.
Copyright Boston Herald Library Sep 11, 2007

It's considered dirty politics to ask a candidate if he still beats his wife but
in the case of one Cambridge City Council hopeful, it's a fair question.

Gregg Moree, a progressive activist running for council, is slated to go on
trial next month - just weeks before the election - on charges he broke into his
ex-wife's home and beat her with an umbrella. Moree, a union carpenter, denies
the charges.

"This divorce has been very painful for my wife and me," Moree said in a
statement issued through his spokesman, Chris Pineo. "I maintain my complete
innocence of any charges and I am confident that all relevant matters will be
resolved in my favor."

He added: "I regret that because of my candidacy this private matter has come
into public view."

Police arrested Moree at gunpoint at his ex-wife's home Feb. 7 after receiving a
911 call for a breaking and entering. Officers arriving at the house reportedly
heard the woman shout "What are you doing here? Get out."

The woman told police that Moree, 50, of Belmont, burst in through a locked
kitchen door, grabbed an umbrella "and began to hit her over the head and
shoulder," according to a police report.

The woman refused medical treatment but told police "she felt a little sore on
and around her neck." The umbrella was confiscated as evidence.

About a week after the scrape, Moree's ex again called 911, alleging that he was
tailing her in traffic in violation of a restraining order. The woman told
police "she has been in an abusive relationship with (Moree) and she fears for
her life," records show.

Moree is slated to go on trial Oct. 15 on charges of assault and battery with a
dangerous weapon, breaking and entering and violating a protective order.

Moree, who is one of 16 candidates in the Nov. 7 race for Cambridge City
Council, downplayed the charges, saying: "This neighborhood and this city has
been my home for more than 50 years. The people here know who I am and where I
come from."

News of Moree's tribulations comes just weeks after revelations that Somerville
mayoral hopeful Richard Scirocco has had four restraining orders against him by
four different women, one of whom he was charged with punching in the eye.

Credit: By DAVE WEDGE