There is not enough news in Charleston to fill up the front page of the P & C. Today's paper spotlights a puff piece on a whitewater rafting business outside of Charlotte.
HELLO! That's in NORTH Carolina. Even the article acknowledges it's a three-hour drive from here.
http://charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=stateregion&tableId=111760&pubDate=10/7/2006
So, what's going on? On the inside pages there were TWO MORE articles about this business venture!
Now, there are logical explanations for the Low Country's touting business enterprises in other states, none of which are pretty.
The least objectionable is that the reporters justified their vacation trip by writing about the place, and the editors went along with it. Not pretty, but it falls into the arena of expense-account fudging.
The second most objectionable is that the reporters' local connection, mentioned in one of the inside -page articles, paid for their trip to Charlotte so that he could get free publicity for his business investment, and the editors went along with it unknowingly. This explanation supposes the reporters can be bought off and the editors are naive.
The third, and most unconscionable explanation, is that the editors have invested in the business (or have friends or relatives who have invested in the business or developments planned for the area) and they sent the reporters to Charlotte so that their friends' investments could get some free publicity. This explanation suggests the P & C's front page (and further reporting) is being manipulated by the editors for the financial gain of themselves or others.
Well, which one seems most likely to you?
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