Free Republic

WAS SUPER-PUNDIT Ann Coulter targeted by a journalistic hoax? On September 1, editor Bob Unger published an open letter telling Miss Coulter she was "fired" – that is, that he was dropping her syndicated column from his paper, the Centre Daily Times (CDT) of State College, Pennsylvania. Two days later, Unger told Editor & Publisher (E&P) that he was swamped with supportive e-mails. E&P reported Unger’s claim, apparently without checking its accuracy. Bill O’Reilly of Fox News likewise made no attempt to question or challenge anything Unger said in a September 18 interview. Despite the puppy-dog trust some interviewers have...

WAS SUPER-PUNDIT Ann Coulter targeted by a journalistic hoax? On September 1, editor Bob Unger published an open letter telling Miss Coulter she was "fired" – that is, that he was dropping her syndicated column from his paper, the Centre Daily Times (CDT) of State College, Pennsylvania. Two days later, Unger told Editor & Publisher (E&P) that he was swamped with supportive e-mails. E&P reported Unger’s claim, apparently without checking its accuracy. Bill O’Reilly of Fox News likewise made no attempt to question or challenge anything Unger said in a September 18 interview. Despite the puppy-dog trust some interviewers have...

REMEMBER that regional newspaper editor who made a big show of "firing" super-pundit Ann Coulter last month? Well, the guy is now out of a job. The moral of the story: Don’t mess with Ann. Actually, Bob Unger did not fire Miss Coulter, because she never worked for him. He simply stopped running her nationally syndicated column. However, he did so in such an abusive and public manner, that people were forced to take notice. Unger announced his move with an open letter accusing Miss Coulter of "hate." "[W]e don’t welcome haters, Ann, and that’s what you are…," wrote Unger....

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP -- The Centre Daily Times announced Monday that Robert V. Unger has stepped down as the newspaper's vice president and executive editor, effective immediately. Henry Haitz, publisher of the CDT, said he will immediately begin a nationwide search for a replacement. During the CDT's 2 1/2 years under Unger's leadership, the newspaper won successive Keystone awards from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, including its fifth consecutive "sweepstakes" award this past year. "He deserves credit for continuing the CDT's tradition of award-winning journalism," Haitz said. (snip)

Editor's File | Decision to 'fire' Coulter gets worldwide attention rungerI stumbled into a skirmish line of our national culture war on a lazy Labor Day morning. It happened during my first cup of coffee about 9 a.m. That's when I signed onto my e-mail account and opened the first of the 364 e-mails that awaited me. The subject line read: "A letter to Ann Coulter." The message, written by a Judith Brewer, said only, "Mr. Unger, I think I love you." The second came from Joe Filko, one of this newspaper's community columnists and a staunch, thoughtful conservative. "You...