I went into the Scene’s online archives to find examples of Henry Walker’s major errors in 1998, his last full year with the paper before he got fired the second time. I would like to share more of them, but I have only so much space.
Walker’s version: In the April 23 issue, Walker said The Tennessean’s next-day coverage of the tornado that struck the city missed severe damage in East Nashville and Hermitage. “Even a little map of the tornado’s path stopped at the Cumberland River.”
The facts: The map stopped at the Cumberland River because it was labeled “Downtown damage.” Another map on the same page clearly showed damage in East Nashville and Hermitage, as did photos and stories that day. The Scene later ran a correction.
Walker’s version: In the June 18 issue: “This time two years ago, The Tennessean never gave readers a clue as to what was about to happen to then-Justice Penny White,” the subject of a recall election for her state Supreme Court seat.
The facts: In June and July 1996, The Tennessean ran 31 news articles and nine editorials on the topic.
Walker’s version: In the Aug. 20 issue, Walker took Tennessean reporter Trine Tsouderos to task for an exchange with Gov. Don Sundquist about problems in the walking horse industry.
Walker wrote: “Tsouderos began by asking the governor how he could be satisfied with a compliance rate in the walking horse industry of, say, 97 percent. Sundquist answered that he agreed more work needed to be done, but that the industry was committed to reforms. He said laws don’t completely eliminate problems. As an example, he noted that motorists speed on James Robertson Parkway, even though there are laws against speeding....
“Tsouderos asked the governor if he was comparing the relatively mild infraction of speeding to soring, an illegal and often painful practice that causes walking horses to lift their hooves in an exaggerated manner.
“At that point, the witnesses said, Sundquist ‘got in her face,’ claiming she was putting words in his mouth and asking leading questions. Jay Hamburg, another Tennessean staffer, then jumped in the questioning, telling Sundquist, according to witnesses, ‘that’s not what she meant,’ and rephrasing the question.”
The facts: Walker admitted in a later column he was wrong after Tennessean staffers played him a tape recording of the exchange:
“The Scene reported that Tsouderos initially asked the governor a question about whether the 97-percent compliance rate was good enough. According to the tape, that question was asked by another reporter.... The tape also indicates that Hamburg did not intervene between Tsouderos and Sundquist, nor did he say anything after the governor’s outburst.... Although Sundquist’s tone sounds clipped and stern, the tape shows he didn’t raise his voice.”
Walker’s version: In the Nov. 26 issue, Walker, a lawyer, reported on The Tennessean’s court case “to force Nashville Electric Service (NES) to reveal the addresses and unpublished telephone numbers of all NES customers.”
The facts: NES never contended the records were closed. The question was how much NES could charge The Tennessean for the material.
