To the Editors:
The Columbian
Recently I read an Associated Press article from a major newspaper up North regarding a press conference which was held in
Olympia at the start of the new legislative session. Many conservative leaders and legislators outlined their top priorities for
this session and spoke about important issues facing families in our state.
A similar article appeared in The Columbian, however, several of the bills and speakers were noticeably missing from this
version. For example, all statements made by Robert Larimer, Jr., executive director of Washington for Traditional Values,
were in the first article, but not the Columbian article.
Since Mr. Larimer is from Vancouver, and since information about events and pending legislation in Olympia is vital to voters
in our area, I am appalled by what appears to be wilfull censorship on the part of Vancouver's only daily newspaper. I
mentioned this concern to Mr. Larimer and he laughed and said, "The editors are the last liberals in Clark County, and they're
desperately defending their incredible shrinking kingdom."
This incident leads me to a graver concern. Is it possible that there are many other important news events involving other
leaders and newsmakers from Vancouver, which are being filtered through censorship or totally withheld from the readers of
The Columbian?
Sincerely,
Julie Barker
Vancouver, WA
February 4, 1997
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