Inside Opinion

If you have questions about how the Daily News makes editorial decisions, this blog has the answers. Editorial page editor Matt Zencey and writers Frank Gerjevic and Rosemary Shinohara will discuss what they're working on, answer questions and ask your perspective on issues facing Alaska.


Contributors

Matt Zencey

Matt Zencey joined the Daily News as an editorial writer in 1985 and was named editorial page editor in May 2007. He has won several. "Best editorial writing" awards from the Alaska Press Club and was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University. He lives on the west side of Anchorage, where he enjoys the best weather in town and easy access to the Coastal Trail. E-mail Matt at mzencey@adn.com

Frank Gerjevic

Frank Gerjevic has worked at the Daily News since 1978, where he's been sports editor, copy editor, reporter and columnist. He's been an editorial writer since 1998. He began his newspaper career with the Anchorage Times in 1975. E-mail Frank at fgerjevic@adn.com

Archive

Me and Nicholas Kristof - 10/12/2009 5:02 pm

Those pricey city union contracts...What ADN said at the time - 10/7/2009 6:03 pm

Home heating haiku - 10/6/2009 12:42 pm

"He got more than 175 words for his letter!" - 9/24/2009 6:23 pm

Dividend haiku - 9/23/2009 5:12 pm

Garage doors debate - 9/23/2009 4:12 pm

What Alaska members of Congress say about financial reform - 9/21/2009 4:49 pm

Why the federal court dismissed the challenge to Alaska's way of picking judges - 9/16/2009 10:58 am

Dead-on investment? - 9/14/2009 5:01 pm

Wednesday haiku - 9/9/2009 11:14 am

The president's speech to schoolchildren - 9/8/2009 10:23 am

George Will, peacenik? Exhibit A: Why are we sticking around so long in Iraq? - 9/3/2009 2:36 pm

George Will, peacenik? Exhibit B: "Time to Get Out of Afghanistan" - 9/3/2009 2:31 pm

High praise for Nunaka Valley softball team - 9/2/2009 12:23 pm

More about sarcasm in letters - 9/1/2009 1:03 pm

Sen. Lisa Murkowski re Senate Energy Bill - 8/31/2009 2:30 pm

Sen. Lisa Murkowski re Cap and Trade (climate change) Bill - 8/31/2009 1:55 pm

Friday haiku - 8/28/2009 6:28 pm

The perils of satire II... - 8/27/2009 5:46 pm

What Kennedy said in 1980 is still true today . . . - 8/26/2009 10:17 am

No sheep - 8/25/2009 4:57 pm

The perils of satire . . . - 8/25/2009 11:38 am

full archive »

The perils of satire . . .

Posted by Matt Zencey, editorial page editor

Posted: August 25, 2009 - 11:38 am

Comments (0) |

Sunday we published a satirical piece by nationally syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz, making fun of the outlandish claims being used to attack health care reform. Rick’s column invented 22 more even more bizarre provisions in the health care bill, mocking the lies being used to stop the reform effort.

One example:

“Page 1,042 NO PROHIBITION on sending 'socially unproductive' seniors into low Earth orbit.”

The full column is on Rick’s web site.

As is always the case with satire, some didn’t get the joke and took Rick’s column literally. Here’s one email he got, from a doctor in Anchorage:

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Your article "There's Nutty Stuff in That Health Reform" is full of lies and distortions. Do really think that the insurance industry is your friend? Outright lies such as published in your poor article should have consequences, like JAIL. Your position is ignorant of facts and good intentions. YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Here’s hoping that doc is better at practicing medicine than he is at reading a newspaper.

-- Matt Zencey, editorial page editor


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