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US newspaper gets death threats for endorsing Hillary Clinton

The boss of a newspaper that was targeted with death threats after endorsing Hillary Clinton inst...
Newstalk
Newstalk

14.29 17 Oct 2016


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US newspaper gets death threat...

US newspaper gets death threats for endorsing Hillary Clinton

Newstalk
Newstalk

14.29 17 Oct 2016


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The boss of a newspaper that was targeted with death threats after endorsing Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump has responded by praising her staff.

The Arizona Republic, published in a Republican-leaning state, broke with tradition and for the first time in its 126-year history endorsed a Democrat for president.

In a piece published on Sunday, Mi-Ai Parrish details some of the threats she and her staff had received.

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"You're dead. Watch your back," was one, she said.

Others threatening messages were: "We will burn you down" and "You should be put in front of a firing squad as a traitor".

Some invoked the memory of Don Bolles, an Arizona Republic investigative reporter who was killed by a car bomb in 1976.

She responded by highlighting the work of her staff, praising them for defending free speech with integrity and sometimes at personal cost.

Ms Parrish, a Korean-American, also suggested she was the target of racial abuse, with some saying "we should go live with the immigrants we love so much" and others threatening "violence against people who look or speak a different way".

She touched on her family's history in her response.

Mi-Ai Parrish, president of Republic Media, which includes The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com | Image: Tom Tingle/The Republic

"To those of you who have said Jesus will judge me, that you hope I burn in hell, that non-Christians should be kept out of our country, I give you my pastor grandfather.

"He was imprisoned and tortured for being a Christian."

In its endorsement of Mrs Clinton weeks ago, The Arizona Republic said: "The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified."

Since then, the newspaper has reportedly seen its subscription decline, but it has maintained its stance.

"We chose patriotism over party," said Ms Parrish.

The Arizona Republic is one of several traditionally Republican newspapers that have refused to endorse Mr Trump. Others include the Dallas Morning News and the Cincinnati Enquirer.

USA Today ended its tradition of not taking sides and published an anti-endorsement, contending that Mr Trump "lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents".

Mr Trump, whose ratings have fallen amid a series of sex claims that he denies, has contended the election "is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media".

He denies the sex allegations.


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