NEWS BLOG (WSAU) - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's goal in visiting Wausau's business incubator on Tuesday was to promote his vision for creating jobs in Wisconsin, if elected governor.

That was the angle of the story I focused on in reporting on his visit as you can read here: http://new.wsau.com/news/articles/2010/jan/19/barrett-makes-jobs-top-issue-gubernatorial-campaig/

The area's two TV stations took a different twist on Barrett's visit - zeroing in on an award he received from the Everest Men Respect group for his efforts to save a woman involved in a domestic dispute as he left the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis last summer.

Here is how WSAW-TV 7 covered it: http://www.wsaw.com/news/headlines/82102837.html

And WAOW-TV 9 reported it this way: http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11849438

The award is a feel-good angle and Barrett is deserving of recognition for sustaining injuries in protecting a woman from an aggressive lover. But the TV stations failed in their duty to report on what a political candidate's views are on important issues of the day.

Matt Lehman
WSAU News Director
01.21.10