Councilman fights negative press
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
March 6, 2009
A D.C. Council member recently threatened retribution against businesses that financially support a popular Brookland community newsletter unless it retracts an article that was critical of his work on his ward’s behalf.
Ticked off over an article that ran in the July/August 2008 edition of the Brookland Heartbeat, Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. wrote an open letter to the community publication that seems to overtly threaten its main source of advertising-based funding, the local Long and Foster real estate office. The letter, dated Feb. 12, was posted on Thomas’ Web site and publicized in Thursday’s edition of “The Mail,” an online forum issued by D.C. Watch.
“I request that the Brookland Heartbeat publish and distribute a retraction to its readers,” Thomas wrote. “In addition, Long and Foster will be held accountable for its role in underwriting the Brookland Heartbeat, as well as the businesses that support the publication.”
Abigail Padou, Brookland Heartbeat editor and the author of most of its articles, said a retraction isn’t warranted — and neither was the councilman’s threat.
“That’s what the U.S. Constitution is for,” she said. “Freedom of the press.”
The article in question was titled “Few Gains for Ward 5 in 2009 Budget.” As chairman of the parks, libraries and recreation committee, the story noted, Thomas has the power to move significant dollars to Ward 5 projects. But his chairmanship “has produced few results so far for Ward 5 residents,” the 1,300-word article, which cited seven sources including Thomas and his committee clerk, concluded.
Thomas, of course, disputed the findings. As for the letter, he said Thursday, “Why does everyone think I’m threatening them?”
“I just hope the advertisers would understand that the publication is not creating a balanced article or being fair,” he said.
Pressed further, Thomas acknowledged he used “strong words.”
“I guess the council member was just tired of being beat up,” he said.
Padou, an employee of Catholic University, debuted the Heartbeat in 2005 to bring local attention to Brookland-centric issues that weren’t getting coverage in larger publications. More than 10,000 households receive a copy every two months via the U.S. mail.
Julia Tillman, office manager at Long and Foster’s Brookland office, was perplexed by Thomas’ letter. The Heartbeat, she said, is a “great community newsletter and everybody loves it.”
“Clearly that is some kind of threat,” Tillman said. “If you’re a politician, people in newspapers and newsletters are going to say positive things about you one day and negative things about you the next. That’s the game.”
