Newspaper Shames Locals Into Voting

According to Editor and Publisher,

Tennessee Tribune Publisher Rosetta Miller-Perry says she doesn't mind embarrassing people if it makes them do the right thing. The right thing to do, she argues, is vote in the upcoming presidential election -- so she's embarrassing hundreds of registered voters who didn't go to the polls in 2004.

In its latest edition, Miller-Perry's black-oriented Nashville weekly published the names and addresses of non-voting registered voters living in largely African-American precincts. A local TV station interviewed several people angry about finding their names and addresses on the list, especially since they believed they had valid reasons they missed the 2004 vote.

"The tactic is dirty," one of those persons, Terrence Alexander, told a reporter in a piece that ran on WTVF NewsChannel 5 in Nashville. "I think they should have had the decency to at least call me." SOURCE

Now keep in mind that this is all public information and anyone of us with time and persistence could compile such a list. But should a newspaper be involved in shaming people into voting? Miller-Perry is unapologetic:

Miller-Perry, who did not immediately return a phone message for comment Thursday, told the Nashville station that it "hurts" when registered voters don't actually vote. "We need to live up to the civil rights that have been given to us," she said. This is not the first time the paper has run a list of non-voting people. In a race for U.S. Senate two years ago, the list apparently encouraged registered voters to vote in the election. Miller-Perry said turnout in one district shot up to 65% from 37% in a previous election. "Sometimes when you embarrass people they do the right thing," she said. SOURCE

I have mixed feelings about this one and I would like to hear YOUR thoughts.

Hat Tip Negrophile

EDITOR'S NOTE: In some other "news about newspapers." Alaska's largest newspaper backs Barack Obama! What happened to the 99.9 percent approval rating Gov. Palin had up there? Alaska's largest newspaper, The Anchorage Daily News says the Democrat "brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand." More from BET