Light Rail Conspiracy In Houston

The Houston Chronicle accidentally posts an internal memo calling for editorials and news articles supporting an as-of-yet unannounced light rail referendum.

1 minute read

December 2, 2002, 8:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

Houston's daily newspaper quickly removed the "internal document" upon its discovery and posted a brief correction to the page, though not before the document was publicly accessible for at least several hours... The memo continues with the suggestion that news stories could be used to accompany the Editorial Board's opinion pieces. "I suggest that [the editorials] could be built upon and informed by a news-feature package with an equally specific focus," writes the unnamed Chronicle official. The main purpose of these "news-features" would be to "inform" readers of a supposed anti-rail conspiracy in Houston. In other words, expect the Chronicle's radical pro-rail editorial opinions to seep over into their news coverage as the Chronicle intentionally engages in the art of yellow journalism so famously associated with the founder of their parent company, William Randolph Hearst.

Thanks to Transport Policy Listserv

FULL STORY: Houston Chronicle Secret Memo Alleges Vast Light Rail Conspiracy

Sunday, December 1, 2002 in The Houston Review

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