The Standard does not normally respond to comments made on social media platforms; however, in your Facebook post dated Oct. 29, 2021 you referred to a news article that The Standard Newspaper published as a ‘Hit Piece’.
In your post you write:
“A ‘hit piece’ is an attempt to turn public opinion against someone or something under the guise of objective reporting, and it is the lowest form of journalism. And there is always an agenda behind it – Travis Lingenfelter”.
You also added:
“They tried it when we placed the Kingman Airport on a track of renewed success, and several other times since then.”
Are you implying within this post, “They tried it when…”, that the word ‘They’ refers to The Standard Newspaper?
You concluded your post by writing:
“Practice hit piece journalism … win stupid prizes. #ProjectVeritasStyle #StandFirmForYourself”
For the record, The Standard Newspaper does not write or publish ‘hit pieces,’ nor does it have any ‘agenda’.
Rather than a phishing expedition, as you coined it, Dave Hawkins’ questions to you stemmed from multiple tips and concerns brought to The Standard’s attention from high-ranking Mohave County officials, who share concerns about the possible conflict of interest at hand with KDP.
You, Supervisor Lingenfelter, are an elected, seated Mohave County District 1 Supervisor, which means you have been ascribed as a public official. Position necessitates responsibility. The first, and perhaps the most important, of these responsibilities is to be transparent in all things that concern and/or affect the job and its duties for the position which you were elected to perform as a County Supervisor.
It is—and always has been—the responsibility of the Fourth Estate to ask the hard questions, to speak truth to power. Journalists are by definition informers, questioners, correspondents, interviewers, investigators, and researchers.
The Standard denies any attempt to “turn public opinion against” you or anyone “under the guise of objective reporting”. The Standard was, in fact, reporting objectively by asking you to confirm, deny, or explain your involvement in the loosely referenced Kingman Development Project (KDP).
Dave Hawkins, a 38-year seasoned journalist, reached out to you for input and clarification concerning a slide show accreditation presented by Bill Lenhart that included your name and ‘Principal’ following it.
You must know that, if accurate, Lenhart’s slide show could prove very damning. It could be contrived as a conflict of interest since you were advocating so strongly for a company that you may or may not have had an interest in.
Hawkins was and continues to perform his journalistic duty by pressing you to provide your comments and thoughts on the matter.
It simply was in your best interest to answer the question(s) truthfully. I don’t know what that truth would have been. What I do know is that since you chose to avoid or duck the question and threaten to sue The Standard and/or Dave Hawkins (per your text message response), well frankly, it makes you look bad. Rather, you could have simply answered the questions regarding a personal timeline of your activities with KDP.
You could have answered in any number of ways:
You could have said the slide presentation was simply inaccurate.
You could have said that the slide show was embellished to have the appearance that there was political weight behind the project.
You could have said you didn’t authorize the use of your name and was hoping nobody saw it and would not be brought up.
You could have said that it was an oversight on Lenhart’s part and that you had asked him to take it off and he didn’t.
You could have also said that it was a complicated situation and that you needed more time to discuss it or that you would comprise a letter and forward it to us.
The fact of the matter is that you didn’t make any comment. Instead, you threatened to sue The Standard, inferred that The Standard was on a ‘phishing’ (sic) expedition, and accused The Standard of having an ‘agenda’ since there ‘always is one’.
The Standard has no ill feelings toward you, Supervisor Lingenfelter. We recognize the positive contributions you have made to and for Mohave County. The Standard will not, however, allow you or any other elected official to make open-ended accusations, threats, and slanderous remarks to go unchecked. The Standard has a 30-year-plus reputation for investigating and printing the truth.
Debating issues over a social media platform such as FaceBook has zero credibility. Therefore, as a professional news agency, The Standard welcomes you to pen your side of the story; we will gladly publish it and provide you equal space and position.
Matthew Wanner
President/CEO, Mohave County Newspapers, Inc.
We have seen Travis in action over the years. Cannot recommend.
I am shocked, honestly, for any Mohave County news source to reference media’s responsibility as “the fourth estate.” I could not agree more, but it so rarely happens. I have newfound respect for The Standard, and I truly hope this position continues. There is MUCH to hold accountable. Fantastic job!
I am shocked, honestly, for any Mohave County news source to reference media’s responsibility as “the fourth estate.” I could not agree more, but it so rarely happens. I have newfound respect for The Standard, and I truly hope this position continues. There is MUCH to hold accountable. Fantastic job!
This is probably totally off base with the article that has been posted. However I’m a newcomer here to the Kingman area, and the area in question of Valle Vista. I’m deeply concerned about the fire situation going on out here. Seems we have a fire station but it’s only man by two people. However, laws state, there must be 4 person personnel coming to a structure fire. I am confused as to why the Kingman fire department has closed three of the four fire stations ,11 miles past the Kingman airport. I find waiting 30 minutes for a fire truck or an ambulance to show up, doesn’t sound like a positive situation for the people living in the Valle Vista area. To my understanding the three fire stations that have been closed, in this area. Are now taking inventory, will be sold off. The equipment will be sold off as well, and by Northern Arizona fire district. Might anyone at the Kingman Miner know anything that could help us as residents in the Valley Vista area as to what is really going on out here? We been fed some much In accurate information. We are now hearing that the Kingman fire department will be giving pay raises across the board? However we are still out here trying to figure out our fire situation. Any information that you might be able to collect would be awesome.
Yes very off base. If you want to ask the Kingman Miner a question, ask them. This isn’t the Miner. Also did you realize it requires funding to run fire stations?
Yes but we don’t need to troll the situation who do I contact at the newspaper to ask this question that maybe they can do an article about it instead of what you just did. I mentioned in my post that it probably wasn’t the right forum for being new to the area I’m at a loss for correct information on all across-the-board situation it seems like there’s a lot of liars and a lot of manipulators in the area
Hello, Sue! If you would like to contact The Standard Newspaper directly about a news story, you can either email us at news@thestandardnewspaper.net or call our office at (928) 753-1143.
Sue; You can thank Travis Lingenfelter for his “no” vote and pay attention to the way he manipulated the rest of the people who were trying to get approval by making comments about how the residents need to “own it and make it theirs” when all they wanted was to have their own department. This supervisor really needs to resogn along with a couple of others because he’s not a person who honors and respects people’s desires to have a better life. But Travis Lingenfelter wants a better life for himself and piggy backs off of his grandfather to do it.
This is probably totally off base with the article that has been posted. However I’m a newcomer here to the Kingman area, and the area in question of Valle Vista. I’m deeply concerned about the fire situation going on out here. Seems we have a fire station but it’s only man by two people. However, laws state, there must be 4 person personnel coming to a structure fire. I am confused as to why the Kingman fire department has closed three of the four fire stations ,11 miles past the Kingman airport. I find waiting 30 minutes for a fire truck or an ambulance to show up, doesn’t sound like a positive situation for the people living in the Valle Vista area. To my understanding the three fire stations that have been closed, in this area. Are now taking inventory, will be sold off. The equipment will be sold off as well, and by Northern Arizona fire district. Might anyone at the Kingman Miner know anything that could help us as residents in the Valley Vista area as to what is really going on out here? We been fed some much In accurate information. We are now hearing that the Kingman fire department will be giving pay raises across the board? However we are still out here trying to figure out our fire situation. Any information that you might be able to collect would be awesome.
Sue; You can thank Travis Lingenfelter for his “no” vote and pay attention to the way he manipulated the rest of the people who were trying to get approval by making comments about how the residents need to “own it and make it theirs” when all they wanted was to have their own department. This supervisor really needs to resogn along with a couple of others because he’s not a person who honors and respects people’s desires to have a better life. But Travis Lingenfelter wants a better life for himself and piggy backs off of his grandfather to do it.
Lingenfelter just threatened a lawsuit on The Standard and on Lake Havesu News because he likes to live an illusion that he’s some kind of a good person. He’s nothing but a mooch, constantly mentioning his grandfather “The Good Dr.” because that’s all he can do. Living off of others and holding onto the skirttails of a good family that Travis can never be like, because he align’s himself with dirty politicians who also censor people. His reputation is less than honorable when it comes to women and he thinks too highly of himself; Where’s Steven Robinson on Lingenfelter’s recall? GET IT STARTED. Lingenfelter’s actions show him to be a tyrant and someone who censors not only people but now the news outlets. Lingenfelter is a clown show on this county; he just posted a copy of a letter sent to him by law firm Jaburg Wilk on The Standard Newpaper’s FB page, and is about to pay this law firl “$200.00 – $500.00 an hour because he doesn’t like his own comments being posted in the news. Where’s he getting that kind of money from, his grandfather?
Lingenfelter just threatened a lawsuit on The Standard and on Lake Havesu News because he likes to live an illusion that he’s some kind of a good person. He’s nothing but a mooch, constantly mentioning his grandfather “The Good Dr.” because that’s all he can do. Living off of others and holding onto the skirttails of a good family that Travis can never be like, because he align’s himself with dirty politicians who also censor people. His reputation is less than honorable when it comes to women and he thinks too highly of himself; Where’s Steven Robinson on Lingenfelter’s recall? GET IT STARTED. Lingenfelter’s actions show him to be a tyrant and someone who censors not only people but now the news outlets. Lingenfelter is a clown show on this county; he just posted a copy of a letter sent to him by law firm Jaburg Wilk on The Standard Newpaper’s FB page, and is about to pay this law firl “$200.00 – $500.00 an hour because he doesn’t like his own comments being posted in the news. Where’s he getting that kind of money from, his grandfather?
Lingenfelter just threatened a lawsuit on The Standard and on Lake Havesu News because he likes to live an illusion that he’s some kind of a good person. He’s nothing but a mooch, constantly mentioning his grandfather “The Good Dr.” because that’s all he can do. Living off of others and holding onto the skirttails of a good family that Travis can never be like, because he align’s himself with dirty politicians who also censor people. His reputation is less than honorable when it comes to women and he thinks too highly of himself; Where’s Steven Robinson on Lingenfelter’s recall? GET IT STARTED. Lingenfelter’s actions show him to be a tyrant and someone who censors not only people but now the news outlets. Lingenfelter is a clown show on this county; he just posted a copy of a letter sent to him by law firm Jaburg Wilk on The Standard Newpaper’s FB page, and is about to pay this law firl “$200.00 – $500.00 an hour because he doesn’t like his own comments being posted in the news. Where’s he getting that kind of money from, his grandfather?