West Valley mayor (R) admits writing news stories using false name

[Newsjock]

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder has admitted writing articles about his own city for the Deseret News and other media outlets under a pen name without the paper’s knowledge.

Winder said that four articles he submitted earlier this year under the name Richard Burwash were published in either the Deseret News or on KSL.com. The mayor said he was frustrated that the newspaper had drastically reduced its city government coverage after layoffs last year but not its crime coverage and wanted to "try to restore balance."

"I care deeply about having news stories about my community beyond what the crime desk churns out, since there is a negative reputation we are working hard to turn around," Winder told The Salt Lake Tribune. "In a three-month period, 16 percent of Salt Lake Tribune stories that mentioned West Valley City were about crime, but 56 percent of Deseret News stories about my city were about crime."

The articles were submitted through Deseret Connect, a venue for freelance writers to contribute to the Deseret News, KSL, Mormon Times and LDS Church News. Winder set up a Deseret Connect account under the Burwash name — the same name he used on articles he wrote that were published in the Oquirrh Times, a newspaper serving West Valley City, Magna and Kearns.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/52893782-90/winder-deseret-news-articles.html.csp

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Winder

Winder's political experience includes serving as a member of the State and Salt Lake County Republican Party Executive Committees, deputy campaign manager for Congressman James V. Hansen, vice president of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, and chair of the Research and Policy Committee for the Huntsman for Governor campaign. He is also the founder of the GenX GOP Network.

An historian, he is the author of six published books on Utah and LDS history, including the regional bestseller Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America's Presidents and the LDS Church. In 2005 Winder was appointed by Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. to a four-year term on the Utah Board of State History, and reappointed in 2009.

[Angry Dragon]

1. If the articles were factual I do not see a big problem

[msongs]

2. lying about who is he to deceive is not a problem. ok nt

[GentryDixon]

3. Then I guess we are all liars.

To tell the truth, my name is not GentryDixon.

Mike Winder is actually a pretty decent guy for a Republican. West Salt Lake Valley does have a bad reputation, as it is home to many diverse ethnic groups who cannot afford to live on the "East" side. He was just trying to mitigate the bad news the media likes to highlight with the good that is happening in that area.

[Angry Dragon]

4. A lot of people use pen names

I use them, you use them, if what we write is factual where is the foul??

[panzerfaust]

6. I guess 'cause apparently they were "news" stories.

News was, once upon a time, long-long-ago, considered to be a mostly factual accounting of what might be happening.

It is one thing to write novels (or post on BB) using a nom de plume - quite another to use one to cover up the fact that you are reporting on something in which you have a large stake: For example, being a mayor and writing about how wonderful your (? crime ridden) city is.

This latter is equivalent to being a "troll" on a discussion forum.

[bluedigger]

5. “News is what people want to keep hidden and everything else is publicity.” - Bill Moyers

:)