Fourth Estate acts like the Second

It's no secret that Post-Star managing editor Ken Tingley is the most self-important public figures in the area. And the area includes Queensbury town supervisor Dan Stec!

When you read Tingley's columns, it's clear that he thinks he's so much smarter than his idiot readers. Maybe he's bitter than he's not yet running The New York Times or some other important paper commensurate with his opinion of himself.

It's no coincidence that the paper's precipitous decline started shortly after Tingley became managing editor.

Usually, this arrogance is more implied, more read-between-the-lines. But a recent online exchange laid bare not just Tingley's pomposity, but the contempt and loathing he has for his paper's own customers.

The local weekly Chronicle published exchange between The Post-Star supremo and a reader that occurred in the comments section of Tingley's column on the daily's website.

A reader named "Wendy" called Tingley to task for criticizing the Queensbury school budget. She noted that she'd never seen him a board of education or PTA meeting or any other district meeting as well as expressing her support for the (then proposed, now adopted) school budget.

The comments by "Wendy" were critical but not especially harsh or nasty. I don't even agree with everything she said. But this tepid criticism obviously pricked Tingley's huge ego. He then gave her the proverbial finger.

The Chronicle published his response:

Dear Wendy:
I take great offense to your comments. For the past 20 years I have been an editor working for the daily newspaper. I am constantly dealing with the issues, problems and yes, the good news that is produced in this community.

We have taken on such issues as underage drinking, suicide and domestic abuse to educate and make our community better.

I'm guessing I have contact with more real people on a daily basis than most other people do in a month.

I write two columns a week, am a member of the editorial board and we are constantly shining a light on problems and issues.

I do not need to go to a PTA meeting or budget hearing to know what is going on because I regularly talk to many of the people involved and our reporters.

It amazes me that anytime anyone is pro taxpayer on this issue, they are accused of being anti-education. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In our editorial on Sunday, we took all school districts to task, not just Queensbury. But I agree with Mr. [Doug] Beaty that Queensbury has traditionally been a high spender.

I am involved in my community through my job at the newspaper. That's more than most people can say including yourself.

There's nothing I really need to add. The egomaniacal narcissism expressed in this screed speaks for itself.

But what's even more interesting is that in the last few days, the exchange has magically disappeared from the article in question.

Now it begs the question: did this revisionism occur because in hindsight, Tingley was humiliated by his childish outburst? Or did his corporate superiors get wind of his enormously unprofessional public attack on a reader and rightly reprimand him?

Inquiring minds want to know.