October 23, 2010 06:58 AM UTC

Spokesperson, not Buck, doing the clarifying

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• by: Jason Salzman

A headline in today’s Denver Post reads, “Buck clarifies comments on global warming ‘hoax.'”

One problem: As you know if you read the article, Ken Buck never clarified his comments on the matter. His campaign spokesman, Owen Loftus, did.

So the headline, most likely written by an editor, didn’t accurately reflect the article, written by a Post reporter.

It’s a significant error to those of us who like candidates who talk to reporters directly. (And I like reporters who insist on this when possible.)

But I might not bother to spotlight the headline if not for the fact that Buck himself hasn’t been quoted in The Post much lately. Instead, he mostly relies on his spokespeople. (To be fair, so does Michael Bennet.)

But the headline gives readers the impression Buck is out there fighting for himself with reporters, when, in fact, in this instance-and in by far most cases in Post articles published in October-his spokespeople were the ones to talk to reporters.