THE SCHORY STORY

TO: Kane County Speaks:

Please publish this article in response to Brenda Schory’s recent articles in the Chronicle.

“Brenda Schory has eliminated any appearances of neutrality in reporting. She’s now “one of those.” She types with an agenda. That’s OK for the rest of the world but not for true journalists.

Recently she reached out to me to “get a story” on local elections. Suffice it to say she called and repeatedly texted. She wanted her story. I’m married. I have 5 kids. I have 2 jobs and I’m involved with outside interests. She made it seem that “I would be missing out on something magnificent by not participating in her Schory Story.” I was incredibly polite in stating that I didn’t have the time or desire. Actually, it’s not my job to make sure that Brenda has a story. That’s her job. But she acted as if it was my duty to help with her story by her repeated texting.

Despite the incessant “drop everything for my story demands” by Brenda, I was polite. Finally, when pushed I texted her and reminded her that she interviewed me before and totally misrepresented everything I said “for her story.” I reminded her that over the next 2 decades, I had met with her 3 times subsequently (twice in person) and once on the phone. I was surprised when we chatted the first time that she didn’t recognize me. The conversation was nice and of no consequence. Same with the next two conversations.

After that first conversation, I knew that I could never trust her “reporting” again. I won’t share my favorite food with her. She’d twist that into something weird. She then said “I’m doing the story with or without you.” Ok…??? Go for it. It doesn’t matter what I’d say anyway.

She published 2 stories and got them so wrong. Intentionally too. Not that I care about her stories. But the real news is that Brenda shapes the narratives for her purposes. No longer is there true journalism. I know what the people said to her on Davoust and Roth stories. I warned them…. “talk to Brenda and she’ll pervert it.” Guess what, “Ooops she did it again.” But it’s intentional.

It’s amazing that the $1 dollar a week Chomicle is still relevant. The Kane County Chronicle had some awesome predecessors (I shared names with Brenda as they were her former co-workers), but now they need that $1 a week.

I guess you get what you pay for. But what’s the real news? The real news is that Brenda misrepresented everything in both stories. Intentionally. Brenda is the spin doctor. Brenda needs to “sell” papers and the truth isn’t needed. Not really sure where the value is for that $1 a week, but I’d bet that the Chronicle would get $2 a week if they had a reporter that sought and published the truth.

Brenda heard the truth when interviewing local citizens, but she refused to share the truth with public. Is it any wonder that alt news agencies on the right, middle and left have flourished when the old and tired news agencies think that their people should write narratives over reporting the news.

Sometimes the truth hurts. Brenda, your scripts should be the news now. You are the news You create news and don’t report news. You don’t report. But I knew that 20 years ago. Now maybe the rest of Kane County sees that as well.”

Larry Bettag