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February 05. 2016 12:01AM Since You Asked: No Satanic invocations in Phoenix (Oregon) On Saturday, Jan. 30, your paper posted an article on Page A4. It was titled something like "Phoenix Satanic group to give opening prayer at council meeting." I started reading the article and realized it was describing an ongoing problem they have been having in Phoenix, Ariz. I did not gather that information from the article, but only because I keep up on news through USA Today and other sources like the Washington Post. Unfortunately, I have had quite a few inquiries and complaints about this either directly or through others thinking it was about Phoenix, Oregon. ... A woman today asked me how it went with the Satanic ritual at council last night. ... For others in the Rogue Valley it gave a very negative slant to our city and council. I would guess many didn't even go past the headline but are rubbing their heads while asking themselves how Phoenix could be so screwed up. ... — Jeff Bellah, mayor of Phoenix Well, Mr. Mayor, we apologize for the misunderstanding and want you to know that we've never thought your council was dabbling in the dark arts. It has seemed on occasion that some area city councils — which will go unnamed — have been at least temporarily possessed, but there was no intent to suggest that in the short item that appeared on Saturday. While the article didn't include the word "Phoenix" in the headline, it was datelined with the city's name, but no state. That may seem an oversight, but it's actually the style used by The Associated Press, which moved the story. The AP has a list of 30 U.S. cities it says do not need to have their states listed in datelines. It assumes cities such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and, yes, Phoenix need no further description because there could be no confusion over the reference. As we like to say in the newsroom, the first three letters of the word "assume" often wind up being descriptive of the writer doing the assumption. Regardless, we should have caught the misleading dateline and added the state name after the city reference. We don't know what in the devil got into our editing crew that day. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160205/NEWS/160209861 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->