Representative Lee Zeldin appears to be following Trump’s lead by disparaging news outlets that criticize him. http://easthamptonstar.com/Letters-Editor/2017420/Letters-Editor-042017

Journalistic Standards

Wainscott

April 17, 2017

Dear David,

On a recent WLNG call-in radio show, Congressman Lee Zeldin responded to a caller as follows:

“I have reached the point where I don’t read anything anymore that The East Hampton Star prints. . . . It’s just crazy . . . it’s just not journalism. . . . It’s a very biased partisan agenda there.”

Representative Zeldin, like the president whose policies he unwaveringly supports, assails this press outlet simply because its editorial and letters-to-the-editor pages sometimes reflect disapproval of his votes and policies. If the 132-year-old, award-winning newspaper of record for the Town of East Hampton is “not journalism,” what does Mr. Zeldin think of the thousands of his constituents who rely on it for local news and editorial content? Not much, evidently.

On the other hand, Mr. Zeldin appears unbothered by the website Breitbart News, notorious for its misogynistic and racist content. Although mentioned or covered in no fewer than 34 Breitbart articles, Representative Zeldin has not commented on its obvious lack of journalistic standards. For our congressman, the measure of a newspaper’s quality seems to be the extent to which it agrees with him.

If Congressman Lee Zeldin can’t tolerate criticism and disagreement, he should abandon politics and find another line of work. Come 2018, let’s hope the voters make that decision for him.

Yours truly,

AMY TURNER