Annie Linskey

On Maddow Show, Boston Globe Reporter Coos at 'Wonderful and Refreshing' Bernie Sanders Ideas
By Tim Graham | August 13, 2015 | 10:36 PM EDT

On Wednesday night’s edition of The Rachel Maddow Show, Boston Globe national political reporter Annie Linskey sounded just like a writer from The People’s Republic of Massaschusetts, employing the words “wonderful and refreshing” to describe Bernie Sanders preaching the old-time religion of socialist reform.

Fill-in MSNBC host Ari Melber was asking about how Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton was handling this hard-left opponent. Linskey felt she was unexciting and failing to grab on to the Sanders socialist magic

WaPo Buries Opposition to Tuition Bill; Baltimore Sun Paints GOP Critic As Trying to Deny 'Rights' to Illegal Immigrants
By Ken Shepherd | May 11, 2011 | 11:24 AM EDT

Yesterday liberal Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) signed into law a measure allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities.

Covering the story today, the Washington Post offered this bland print edition headline on page B1: "O'Malley signs bill allowing immigrant tuition breaks."

The move "bucks trend in other states" and a "showdown with opponents is expected," subsequent subheadings trumpeted.

Yet staff writer Ann Marimow waited until paragraph 16 in her 23-paragraph article to get around to quoting one such opponent:

Labeling Bias from Balt Sun: 'Ehrlich Wants Tax Cuts; O'Malley Wants More Investment'
By Ken Shepherd | October 29, 2010 | 3:08 PM EDT

Liberal Democrats love to couch increased government spending as "investments." It's smart political marketing, but it's a less-than-truthful spin on what government spending is or does. When's the last time you got a dividend check from your state government giving you your share of the "profit" from a road or bridge project?

But it's when journalists buy into that spin that we at NewsBusters really have a problem.

Take the Baltimore Sun, which today told readers that while rivals Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and former Governor Bob Ehrlich (R) are focused on the economy in their closing campaign pitches, "Ehrlich wants tax cuts; O'Malley wants more investment."

Noted Annie Linskey in a story filed on BaltimoreSun.com last night (emphasis mine):

BaltSun Names Indicted Mayor's Party Affiliation... In Last Paragraph of Story
By Ken Shepherd | November 23, 2009 | 12:52 PM EST

<p>Twelve days ago <a href="/blogs/ken-shepherd/2009/11/11/name-party-baltimore-mayor-accused-using-gift-cards-designated-poor-he" target="_blank">I noted how</a> the Baltimore Sun failed to mention indicted Mayor Sheila Dixon's Democratic Party affiliation in a story about an embezzlement trial. The mayor stands accused of misappropriating gift cards intended for poor Baltimoreans. Instead of making sure the donated retail gift cards got into the hands of needy folks, Dixon is alleged to have used them for her own personal shopping spree. </p><p>Today, with the Dixon jury literally still out, the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/22/AR200911... target="_blank">Sun's Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz did mention Dixon's Democratic Party affiliation</a>, albeit in the very last sentence of their November 23 14-paragraph story published in the Metro section of the Washington Post*:</p><blockquote>

Baltimore Sun: New Indictments of Dem Mayor Dixon 'Blow to Baltimore's Pride'
By Ken Shepherd | August 3, 2009 | 3:47 PM EDT

New indictments on theft and perjury charges handed down against Democratic Mayor <a href="/people/sheila-dixon" target="_blank">Sheila Dixon</a> are a <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-dixon803,0,3065918.story" target="_blank">“blow to Baltimore’s pride”</a> leading “political watchers” to huff in disgust that it’s time to “get this over with,” reports Annie Linskey this morning at BaltimoreSun.com.<br /><br />Of course almost all of the political watchers quoted in the story – the exception being University of Virginia’s Larry J. Sabato –  are, like Dixon, Democratic officeholders:<br /><blockquote>The new indictments issued last week in the City Hall corruption probe has many of Baltimore's political leaders impatient for resolution to a case that has spanned three years and left the city's reputation in limbo.<br /><br />&quot;Most people I talk to are saying 'Let's just get this over with,' &quot; said Baltimore Del. Curtis S. Anderson, a Democrat. &quot;Let's get to trial and see what really happened.&quot;<br />

Name That Party, Baltimore Edition; Brief Running in WaPo Leaves Out Dem Affiliation
By Ken Shepherd | January 8, 2009 | 11:29 AM EST

If ever there was a new year's resolution the mainstream media could take up, it would be to note the party affiliation of indicted politicians regardless of their political party and especially when noting indictments in urban areas where one party holds a monopoly on city government.

Take for example a January 8 Baltimore Sun article running on page B4 of the same day's Washington Post*, that informed readers that Baltimore City Council member Helen Holton was indicted the day before "on bribery charges related to tax breaks for a high-end building under construction on the [Baltimore] city waterfront." Also indicted in the same investigation was Ronald H. Lipscomb, a real estate developer "with close ties to Mayor Sheila Dixon." 

Neither Dixon's nor Holton's party affiliations were mentioned in the 5-paragraph Baltimore Sun brief, although a longer article available at the paper's Web site noted that Holton is a "West Baltimore Democrat." Dixons' party affiliation was left unmentioned in the Jan. 7 article filed by staffers Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz.