OBAMA OMISSION

Byron Harris reports

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TERRELL - Protestors spoke out Thursday against The Terrell Tribune's decision not to put Barack Obama's presidential victory on its front page.

The day after Obama was elected as president, the banner headline for the Tribune focused on the county commissioner's race. The headline read, "Jackson defeats Schoen."

About 25 residents, who said they had hoped to save the local paper with Obama's victory noted front page, picketed the newspaper's office Thursday.

"That's what I wanted, a keepsake," said Lera Duncan, who was among the protestors. "And this was very disappointing to me."

"They could have knocked me over with a feather," said Sarah Whitaker. "I was flabbergasted. I couldn't imagine such an historical event would not be on the front page somewhere on The Terrell Tribune."

Protestors pointed out that on Election Day, the Tribune had printed a John McCain-focused story as their lead story on the front page.

"It's not the people in the community," said another protestor. "It's the paper itself."

The Terrell Tribune's publisher, Bill Jordan, declined an on-camera interview.

"We run a newspaper, not a memory book service," he said. "We covered the local commissioner's race. We thought that was more important."

For those who may believe race played a part in the decision, the publisher pointed out that Democrat J.C. Jackson, who was at the center of the main story and who won the race for county commissioner, is an African American.

But while there were a few Obama-related stories within the paper, there was no story devoted to the presidential victory.

E-mail bharris@wfaa.com