📧 Why does The Oregonian “hate” military families?
The following was sent to Politics Co-Editor Betsy Hammond and Vice President Therese Bottomly of The Oregonian/Oregon live on January 24, 2025 at 12:55.
Betsy [Hammond] (and Therese [Bottomly]),
Sen Thatcher has asked me for comments on Senate Joint Memorial 1, which will have a committee hearing on Tuesday. When you and I talked on the phone, you made a big deal about not being an editor when the Albany Legion hall was burned to the ground on July 4th, 2010, which felt reassuring at the time.
However, your LinkedIn says you became an editor in January 2017. If so, then you were in leadership when Lizzy Acker (and later Aimee Green, both CCed), labelled what Damien Rodriguez did a "hate crime" in April 2017 and March of 2018. The title of ORS 166.155, under which Rodriguez was charged, is "Bias Crime" - the word "hate" never appears.
The Oregonian created an association between "veterans" and "hate crimes" while ignoring their protections therefrom under the 2009 HCPA. Damien Rodriquez might even have grounds to sue the outlet for misrepresenting his charges, I dunno.
Despite what you claimed in our call, you don't have the plausible deniability you think you do. The fact that you knew about my testimony on December 20, 2024 and determined it was not newsworthy heightens the appearance of bias.
I can't speak for Thatcher, but I can say that I will be pointing your bias out to her team to use as they see fit.
