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Commissioner Parsons criticizes local LNP coverage during meeting; Commissioner Yoder defends independent press
Summary
During remarks after a Black History Month proclamation, Commissioner Joshua G. Parsons accused an LNP reporter and the publisher of producing "ginned up" controversies and divisive coverage; Commissioner Alice Yoder later defended the role of independent news organizations.
During his remarks on the Black History Month proclamation, Commissioner Joshua G. Parsons used part of his time to sharply criticize a local reporter and the Lancaster Newspapers (LNP) for coverage of the proclamation’s timing. Parsons called the reporting "false, made up, and malicious," said it was designed to "drum up division and drama," and accused the paper of seeking public money to sustain itself. He stated, “Now, we do many, many proclamations each year... But now LNP and Tom Lisi have done two ginned up malicious stories on the fact that it was not done in February in order to drum up division and drama where none existed.”
Commissioner Alice Yoder responded during the meeting by expressing support for the role of independent news organizations in Lancaster County. The minutes show a brief further discussion between Commissioners D’Agostino and Parsons about the timing of the proclamation. The meeting record captures Parsons’ comments verbatim in the minutes and records no formal Board action related to his criticism.
The exchange is recorded in the minutes and reflects a public criticism of a named reporter (Tom Lisi) and the local publisher that other commissioners did not join; Yoder emphasized support for independent journalism in her response.
