The Liberal Democrats have taken a paragraph from a 549 word comment written by a former Watford Observer reporter and used it to seemingly show his endorsement for the Watford Mayor’s parliamentary credentials in a leaflet.
Residents received the double-sided pro-Dorothy Thornhill literature through their doors last week.
It quotes a segment of a piece written in August by the Observer's ex-chief reporter, Mike Wright, in which he analysed how Mayor Thornhill’s legacy could potentially be damaged by a run for Westminster.
The Lib Dems used two sentences, including "no other politician in the town has anything resembling her profile or electoral track record".
But it failed to quote segments such as "she is not universally loved" and "a risky Parliamentary run will have implications for the Lib Dems’ chances of holding onto the town hall after Dorothy."
The Observer Owl took to Twitter this afternoon to address the leaflet.
Watford Lib Dem election leaflet uses comment from former chief reporter completely out of context #dirtytricks pic.twitter.com/6Xxl6trQca
— Watford Observer (@Observer_Owl) January 8, 2015
In context he argued @MayorDorothy ran risk of ruining her legacy, becoming Mayor who chose Westminster over Watford http://t.co/cfHn0HI1Ce
— Watford Observer (@Observer_Owl) January 8, 2015
The party apologised in 2010 after circulating a leaflet to thousands of homes which used a quote attributed to the Observer that stated: "The signs look good for the Lib Dems to topple Claire Ward".
However, that quote was in fact directly attributed to Mayor Thornhill in a story reported in the Observer back in 2007.
In October 2007, five months after that original story was published, Sal Brinton, then Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate, apologised for reproducing and attributing the same quote to the Observer in a campaign leaflet.
Mr Wright, the Observer's former chief reporter, took to Twitter today after being told the Lib Dems were using his name in party propaganda.
Wondering if there's a body journalists can turn to when quoted out of context by politicians?
— Mike Wright (@Ovidus) January 8, 2015
In a series of tweets with Observer Owl, the Watford Lib Dems defended their leaflet this afternoon.
@WatfordLibDems You've taken it completely out of context and used a journalist to endorse a political candidate. He's not happy nor am I.
— Watford Observer (@Observer_Owl) January 8, 2015
@Observer_Owl We do not say he endorses her. He wrote these 2 sentences, which we believe are accurate. We accurately attributed the quote
— Watford Lib Dems (@WatfordLibDems) January 8, 2015
@WatfordLibDems The endorsement is implied - this comment has been taken completely out of context.
— Watford Observer (@Observer_Owl) January 8, 2015
But the Lib Dems’ defence did not appear to wash with other social media users.
@WatfordLibDems @Observer_Owl how weaselly can you get! Chances of me voting libdem gone from nil to, well, double nil. Pathetic.
— Emma Hamilton (@RawWatfordEdge) January 8, 2015
@WatfordLibDems @Observer_Owl this is why many, many people are becoming disenfranchised by politics. Always presentation over substance.
— GS Hertfordshire (@GSHertfordshire) January 8, 2015
@WatfordLibDems @Observer_Owl They said 'out of context', not inaccurate. Something the Lib Dems seem quite good at getting mixed up.
— Adam Justice (@relevantnumber) January 8, 2015
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