Media

Utah Mayor Used Alias to Double as News Reporter

Utah Mayor Mike Winder Used Alias to Double as News ReporterSALT LAKE CITY (The Blaze/AP) — The mayor of Utah’s second-largest city is acknowledging he used a fake name to write freelance stories for Utah news outlets because he says the municipality needed more “good news.”

West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder quoted himself in some of the stories he wrote for the Deseret News, KSL-TV’s website and a community weekly.

Winder tells The Associated Press his career as a news reporter using the name Richard Burwash lasted several months until he decided to come clean this week. He says getting stories published was as easy as setting up a Gmail account and Facebook page under the alias.

Winder says he wanted to offer balance to what he saw as bad news coverage of his city. He complains that the media devotes too much time to covering crime.

Comments (27)

  • AceClaymore
    Posted on November 13, 2011 at 6:56am

    He’s like Mayor Spider-Man!

    Report Post » AceClaymore  
  • WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges04
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 6:16pm

    “Utah Mayor Used Alias to Double as News Reporter”

    That’s FAIR and BALANCED. After all, the Progressives (communists) use the alias of “Reporters”.

    Report Post » WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges04  
    • ccr
      Posted on November 14, 2011 at 6:40am

      haha……………funny! * Like! *

      Report Post »  
  • Amica
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 2:59pm

    It keeps getting better. Here’s the latest:
    http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1070&sid=18049992&title=man-in-photo-mayor-winder-used-wants-apology

    Report Post » Amica  
  • chubbzbar
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 2:51pm

    The irony is that the Deseret News/Salt Lake Tribune building is in West Valley City and pays property taxes to WVC to help pay Winder’s salary — they are also paying for a 18% property tax increase that is supposedly going for Fairbourne Station which is the new light rail hub with shopping and a 4 star hotel. ALL of which Richard Burwash wrote in glowing terms about. It really does sound like the press is in his pocket!!! Shades of Obama !!!

    Report Post »  
  • cliffchism
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 1:05pm

    Here, we see the biggest difference between local politicians and national politicians… National politicians get the networks and papers to write the stories as they want to see them. Local politicians have to write them, themselves.

    Report Post »  
  • JohnHW
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 10:09am

    I don’t see his party mentioned in the article, so he must be a democrat. If so, what’s so difference between him and Pelosi, Obama, or Reid?

    Report Post » JohnHW  
    • hifi74
      Posted on November 12, 2011 at 4:49pm

      No no John if he was a Democrat the media would of been writing the “good news” for him, in this case the mayor is a Republican. I don’t condone what he did but given the media bias for the left I can understand why he felt he needed to do it.

      Report Post » hifi74  
  • SingerGuy
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 9:20am

    I used to own a home in West Valley City in the late 80′s. My neighborhood back then consisted of well maintained homes, well manicured lawns, and peaceful streets and parks where you could let your children play with friends without fear for their safety. I now commute into WVC to work. I’ve driven through my old neighborhood and am shocked to see many of the homes falling into disrepair, once beautiful yards now being used as parking lots because there are more drivers (more families?) than the home was designed to support. My company has had to replace two windows in recent years because they had bullet holes in them, one was shot in broad daylight. Female employees have to be escorted to their cars after dark by our security guard and we’ve had to remove graffiti more than once this year.

    Quite frankly, there just isn’t much good news that comes out of WVC. I am strongly against the choice that Mayor Winder made, and believe he should have found another way to try and paint his city in better light. Maybe if he didn’t pander to those “citizens” that don’t speak any English, and supported stronger anti-drug and anti-gang efforts he would see some positive changes in his community. I find it nearly impossible to go into a restaurant or fast food outlet and be served by someone for whom English is their birth language.

    Report Post » SingerGuy  
  • hempstead1944
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 9:20am

    Perhaps he could run for political office under an alias too?

    Report Post »  
  • heerma
    Posted on November 12, 2011 at 9:14am

    As a libertarian, I despise then a report leaves the party of the politician out of the story. I thought this was a democrat…since that is standard operating procedure for most of the media. But he is a republican. Come on blaze, don’t be like the others….

    Report Post »  
  • Islesfordian
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 9:06pm

    A politician posing as a journalist. Two despised professions. Maybe he should sell used cars as well and become civil trial lawyer just to round out the act.

    Report Post » Islesfordian  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:39pm

    The good news is that the Occupiers are being Occupied by Tuberculosis, drug overdoses, and shootings. Sounds good to me.

    Report Post »  
    • WeekendAtBernankes
      Posted on November 12, 2011 at 12:33am

      Not good when a stray bull tears into a busy office occupied by people working to provide for themselves and their families.

      For all they gripe about the “1%”, they are the 1% whiniest b!7ches in the nation.

      Report Post » WeekendAtBernankes  
  • In detroit
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:12pm

    No doubt , why would you hide , stupid next!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 7:34pm

    Another propagandist doing his own dirty work. Cover up the bad, while making things look rosy as a swamp.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • OlefromMN
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 7:29pm

    Why was he afraid to use his own name and stand up for his own words?

    Report Post » OlefromMN  
  • lukerw
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 7:28pm

    If you… Do not like the News… Just invent it!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Shasta
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 7:07pm

    Yawn

    Report Post » Shasta  
    • Darkstar58
      Posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:19pm

      Yeah, I dont see what the big deal is here. Politicians write books all the time, or occasionally provide an article or two for the media to publish. Its not really that different.

      Besides, its not like he’s the leader of the greatest country ever allowing his supposed personal book to be written by a convicted terrorist or anything. Now THAT would be news! Oh wait…

      Report Post »  
    • Amica
      Posted on November 11, 2011 at 9:09pm

      It’s not really a huge deal, but it is not the same thing as a politician writing a book or an op-ed piece. The point is he lied about it. He went to extensive measures to create a false person: gmail account, facebook page, photographs. He says he didn‘t know pseudonyms weren’t allowed, but he put a lot of effort and thought into getting around the procedures in place to validate identity.

      It’s true WVC has a bad reputation for gangs and other crime and run down neighborhoods, but I think his time and energy would be put to better use in actually fixing the problems that lead to the reputation. Writing about the good things that happen there is nice, but doesn’t accomplish much.

      Report Post » Amica  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 12, 2011 at 6:45am

      For shame, someone writing a book using a sudonym? (it’s early, however you spell that.) Like that’s never been done. Better than publishing lies that you later get caught in…or running for office when the only details we have of your life is the autobiography you wrote about yourself. I understand they can’t find any records of Stanley Ann Dunham actually having cancer treatments.

      Report Post »  
  • Isaiah52021
    Posted on November 11, 2011 at 7:07pm

    Isn’t that essentially what Obama does, I mean he just tells the reporters what to say and they write it, but not much difference really.

    Report Post » Isaiah52021  

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