By Donna Westfall – August 13, 2017 – Two newspapers serve our metropolitan area, The Curry Coastal Pilot, run by Scott Graves and the Del Norte Triplicate run by Robin Fornoff. It seems that mission of those two newspapers could not be more different.
Almost all of the editorials by the Pilot’s Scott Graves seem to do with either problems of Curry County with solutions or something uplifting like the July 4th editorial which was entitled Truth Justice and the American Way. I don’t think I have ever read an editorial where someone is bullied or belittled. These editorials usually offer something positive. This seems to be part of the reason that there seems to be no lack of advertisers. Readers and advertisers alike, seem to like the tone and tenor of the newspaper.
Contrast that positive approach of the Pilot with a very different approach on the part of the Triplicate’s editor, Robin Fornoff. Let’s take a look at a sample of the editorials from editor Fornoff;
* On August 8th, editor Fornoff devotes a majority of his editorial comments with an attack on Del Norte County Supervisor Roger Gitlin. Fornoff even speculates that a criminal investigation is underway against this supervisor. Look at this quote and see if this is not deliberately poisoning the well. Fornoff writes this, “A spokesperson said the sheriff wasn’t available but complaints under possible investigation aren’t usually released to the public unless the district attorney brings charges.” So the question is where is the proof for the accusation that there is a possible investigation. Fornoff doesn’t offer any. It smells like fake news. But then Fornoff goes further in the realm of speculation by saying. “If the allegations are found factual, Gitlin needs to be reminded either by criminal charge or censure by the board, that he cannot use his elected public trust to abuse or bully or defy a basic constitutional right to privacy. The only one who is the bully here is editor Fornoff. It seems that he has stepped over the line with wild speculation and cornered the market on the stupid gene.
* On August 5th, Fornoff wrote this, “Cowan has had the courage to side against Supervisors Roger Gitlin and Bob Berkowitz on some of their pet issues. Sutter and Westfall are in the political payback camp of Gitlin and Berkowitz.” I really don’t know what that he means by “the political payback camp.” Don’t you think he would explain that a little further? It would seem that he must have graduated from journalism school at the bottom of his class.
Fornoff forgets that Linda Sutter was as outspoken against Supervisor Gitlin and Supervisor-elect Berkowitz last year as she is against Cowan this year.
* On July 1st, Fornoff wrote this in an editorial; “Cowan is the target of Westfall because Cowan has voted against Supervisors Bob Berkowitz and Roger Gitlin on issues dear to their hearts. Westfall is an unabashed Berkowitz-Gitlin cheerleader.” Where is the evidence for that statement? There is not one piece of evidence to support it. It seems to be pure speculation of what he would like it to be. Did he not watch or listen to the BOS meetings, or read my articles wherein I complained about Cowan not being a person of her word, that she flip-flops and is an opportunist? He even published my rebuttal to his article attacking me. Well, he didn’t publish it right away because he banned me from submitting articles or Letters to the Editor.
By now you can see that editor Fornoff is a bully, with three editorials in a little more than a month that attempt to skewer Supervisors Gitlin and Berkowitz with accusations without evidence, speculation without facts and assertions without proof.
Editor Fornoff needs to be held accountable for his fake news reporting and unfounded speculation. Unfortunately, without a publisher on staff, he is allowed to run amuck, promoting his constant bullying of Del Norte County Supervisors. It seems that he is living proof that evolution can go in reverse. I’m thinking of dropping off a banana to Editor Fornoff at the Del Norte Triplicate office this coming week
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