Journalist Ben Johnson Calls LNP Coverage “Story of Selective Quotations and Omissions”

LNP reporter Kara Newhouse and executive editor Barb Hough Roda have come under fire from conservative journalist Ben Johnson for what he calls a “story of selective quotations and omissions,” in their coverage of abstinence speaker Pam Stenzel in an article published Wednesday that came to the attention of LititzDailyNews.com today.

In his article, Johnson, the US Bureau Chief of LifeSiteNews.com, calls into question alleged assertions by Newhouse in articles published by LNP that Stenzel made inflammatory comments to students in West Virginia during an assembly at a high school there in 2013.

“The heart of [Newhouse’s] articles, though, was a pair of dubious ‘quotations’ from one of Stenzel’s speeches in a West Virginia high school: “If you take birth control, your mother probably hates you,” and “I could look at any one of you in the eyes right now and tell if you’re going to be promiscuous, ” writes Johnson of the LNP content.

The quotations reportedly appeared in multiple stories written by Newhouse between October 15 and November 19, the day that Stenzel was to address middle and high school students during two scheduled school-day assemblies, which were canceled last week by the district out of concern for student safety. Stenzel wound up speaking in the evening to an audience of parents and teens in the high school auditorium.

“Although Newhouse recycled these alleged quotations in four separate stories,” writes Johnson, “she never once quoted Stenzel’s denials. She did not even report that George Washington High School principal George Aulenbacher was quoted by the Charleston Gazette in the same story that he attended Stenzel’s presentation and ‘didn’t hear anything like that.’”

Johnson writes that he reached out to LNP executive editor Barb Hough Roda for comment, but Roda reportedly did not reply. LititzDailyNews.com has emailed Roda multiple times for comment on the Stenzel articles over the past four weeks, most recently on Thursday, but she has never replied.

Johnson continues: “Despite these omissions and strong objections from the Warwick school leadership that Newhouse had misrepresented the facts, LNP Executive Editor Barbara Hough Roda said, “LNP stands fully behind its reporting of this story.” (LNP, Lancaster Online, and numerous other media outlets in southeastern Pennsylvania are part of Steinman Communications; Roda is Newhouse’s boss.)”

Johnson notes that “It is no sin for reporters to have political views. However, it is a breach of ethics for them to allow those views to skew their reporting, as Newhouse appears to have done, with LNP’s tacit or explicit approval.”

Newhouse, whose strident reporting of Stenzel’s planned appearance was criticized by Warwick School District in a statement released in October, was noticeably absent from the abstinence assembly on Wednesday night at the high school.

Was Newhouse benched by Barb Roda in the wake of Johnson’s article? An email sent to Roda by LititzDailyNews.com went unanswered yesterday. Newhouse has never replied to requests for comment.

After a month of publishing what Johnson believes to be unsubstantiated quotes, on Wednesday night LNP finally found out from Pam Stenzel if she ever made such shocking statements to students in West Virginia.

LNP reporter Tom Knapp, tapped to cover Stenzel’s speaking engagement in place of Newhouse, broached the subject with Stenzel during a press conference with local media prior to her speaking engagement.

“People have brought up things like ‘If you’re on birth control, your mother hates you,’” Knapp said.

“Which I have never said,” Stenzel quickly said.

“You’ve never said that?” Knapp asked.

“Never in a million years,” Stenzel said.

Stenzel’s quote made it into print on LancasterOnline, LNP’s website, late Wednesday night, after 2,000-plus Warwick students, ninety-five percent of whom had not been opted out of the daytime assemblies, were denied the opportunity of hearing her non-faith-based message of the risks of sexual behavior and the rewards of abstinence together as a student body.

Editor’s Note: LititzDailyNews.com has emailed Barb Hough Roda and Kara Newhouse this morning for comment about Mr. Johnson’s article and assertions. If either replies, we will update the story.