Jackson Free Press

Well, it's kinda good to finally see a mea culpa column of sorts from David Hampton on his paper's endorsement of Frank Melton, or "Frank" as he and others over there call him. And that endorsement went on for many years, not just in the paper the weekend before the 2005 primary, remember. Per Hampton today:

Frank Melton told everybody what they wanted to hear. That was his problem for doing it and our problem for believing it. Melton fooled a lot of people. Most will tell you now that they never trusted him. Political opponents will crow "I told you so." but most wanted Melton to be the real thing, even if they suspected he wasn't.

Fooled a city

When he decided to run for mayor, it was a foregone conclusion he would win. He had money from wealthy white Republican businessmen and support on the streets. Young, old, black, white, rich, poor liked "just Frank." It was an amazing coalition.

This newspaper endorsed him. Now we know that was a mistake. Melton has been a disaster. We can look back now and see the signs, but we all let it slide because we liked what he said.

But here's the problem, Mr. Hampton. The Clarion-Ledger isn't an uninformed citizen; it is the Fourth Estate. Your newspaper was in a position to see the truth about Frank Melton years ago. The evidence and warning signs were all over your archives for *decades.* Your paper didn't bother to ask him hard questions, or to even challenge ridiculous things like him jumping in front of the police so young men could "surrender" to him (thus, later messing up the cases against them.) You apparently didn't read the transcripts of or actually listen to those Bottom Lines if you thought he was talking "common-sense solutions." (It was naked demagoguery and, often, slander.) Your paper was involved in the Meridian lawsuit with him, with him lying under oath about giving a fake memo to your paper, when you endorsed him (and not reporting about the lawsuit during his campaign). The Ledger knew he was willing to (a) make up awful accusations about law enforcement officials and (b) lie to a judge about leaking them to you.

These are only a few of many examples. Meantime, the evidence of how the Jackson media got snookered by an obvious con artist is right at the top of your column:

People like, or maybe now, liked, "Frank." He would always correct you if you called him mayor or Mr. Melton. "It's just Frank," he would say.

Here's the difference between you and your staff, Mr. Hampton, and me and my staff: From day one, we've called him "Mr. Melton," and we scrutinized him like he should have been scrutinized by local media for years. Of course, he wanted us to call him "Frank"; could really not see what that was about? But we refused. I told him to his face that I would never call him "Frank." I said: "I'm a reporter, Mr. Melton. I'm not here to be your friend."

It really was not hard to do. And it sure didn't stop him from talking to me or my staff, as everyone well knows at this point. What you left our of your column was the Fourth Estate responsibility that makes you and me and our staffs different from the average Joe and Mary who bought this shtick. We are here to give them the truth, not to be buddy-buddy with people who "say what we want to hear." You should be apologizing for being gullible; leave that to Melton's campaign donors. You should be apologizing for your newspaper abdicating its journalistic responsibility for so long and telling us what your corporation is doing to make sure it doesn't happen again.

This was not hard. It was journalism 101, and it's what we're supposed to be in this profession to do. Personally, I wish those who are here for other reasons would move onto something else and stop making it harder for the rest of us.

With due respect.

Previous Comments

ID

143838

Comment

Very well said. I do hope that the C-L learned its lesson by not asking all the candidates all the tough questions that need to be asked. I also hope, too, that they (and all other media, for that matter) will make available to all their readers, all candidate platforms (or, at least, links to their platforms on the Internet) for elections pertaining to each reader's jurisdiction so that they would be able to go into the ballot box with information needed to make informed decisions. While it is great that the C-L admitted that they were wrong about Melton, they also can't wash their hands clean of it too. They may not be guilty per se for what Melton has done, but they're just as guilty for creating this mess. BTW, check out my letter about Melton that was published in the C-L on Friday.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2009-02-22T19:24:52-06:00

ID

143839

Comment

After what we've endured the past four years, I hope that this time around, the citizens of Jackson will put on their thinking caps before they cast their votes in the upcoming mayoral election. Ask questions, investigate, and vote based on qualifications instead of popularity and puppet theater. May the city with soul look deep within their souls and get it right this time. Nice letter, GE. :)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2009-02-22T21:20:19-06:00

ID

143903

Comment

I learned that "Frank" most certainly despised the JFP for its coverage on my first day on the job for Donna. Within seconds of introducing myself, I was hit with rambling threats of legal action, just for my association with the paper. I don't know a better way to explain it.

Author

bryan doyle

Date

2009-02-23T16:11:58-06:00

ID

143910

Comment

Rambling threats of legal action. Emphasis on "rambling." LOL

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2009-02-23T17:21:02-06:00

ID

143912

Comment

You'd think from his actions during the trial, he has a love-hate relationship with us. Or, at least he told me "still loves" me. ;-) As I always say, I feel compassion for Mr. Melton and wish he'd gotten help, and had people around him who wouldn't enable whatever he wanted, a lot time ago. But he needs to be held responsible for his actions, and has had many opportunities to correct course.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2009-02-23T17:46:44-06:00

ID

143917

Comment

I learned that "Frank" most certainly despised the JFP for its coverage on my first day on the job for Donna. Within seconds of introducing myself, I was hit with rambling threats of legal action, just for my association with the paper. I don't know a better way to explain it. Frank despises anyone who doesn't kneel down and kiss him where the sun doesn't shine.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2009-02-23T18:20:30-06:00

ID

143994

Comment

"But he needs to be held responsible for his actions, and has had many opportunities to correct course." <

Author

Queen601

Date

2009-02-24T14:16:24-06:00

ID

144088

Comment

The Ledger is trying to play omnipresent God again: Few people in support of another Melton trial. I've voting that the metro editor came up with that headline. That paper is so, so, so, so bad. Have I mentioned this before?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2009-02-25T17:12:07-06:00

ID

144091

Comment

Umm, and where in hell did this Florida guy suddenly come from in the middle of that Ledger story!?! Who cares what he thinks? Apparently the Ledger; it seems he's a bit part of the "sample" they used for this story to determine that "few people in support of another Melton trial." Many people in the city agreed Melton should have tried a different way to stop the alleged drug activity at the duplex, which he referred to as a "crack house." But few believe his actions warrant another criminal trial. Michael McHugh, 46, of Port Orange, Fla., said he figured the jury would be sympathetic to a crime-fighting politician, regardless of his tactics. He said he supports Melton. "I think what he did was good, but I don't know if it was legal," said McHugh, a lawyer and retired police officer. "I would think if there was a retrial, it would end in another hung jury or he would be acquitted." Just when you think they can't outdo themselves ...

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2009-02-25T17:18:33-06:00