Todd Portune takes on Enquirer’s “incendiary” headlines and content

In yesterday’s guest column at the Cincinnati Beacon, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune writes, “ The new business model for the Enquirer is to drive as many “hits” as they can to their website for purposes of their on-line advertisers” and cites the recent headline “Jail plans would need taxes” as proof their headlines are written to “drive interest - not necessarily to inform the reader.”

He also addresses an inflated cost the reporter used for the new jail: “Last, Howard discusses that this is for a $230 Million jail. We have never said that. That was the Heimlich figure. In contrast I have stressed to county administration that we must bring in any new build facility at or below $150 Million for 1800 new beds and that we need to look to using other existing facilities or buildings as a first option in order to further drive costs down.”