Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel Director Mike Mooney, APR Corporate Communications Gets "Angry" at Journalist

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 16:56:57 -0500

Nextel Director Mike Mooney, APR Corporate Communications Gets "Angry"
at Journalist

Nextel Responds To Stance On Military
Presence

By Carol Bell

March 28, 2004

My recent commentary Nextel Speaks With Forked Tongue...on Nextel and
the military presence at NASCAR’s pre-race ceremonies drew many
responses from fans, columnists, and Nextel.

Nextel feels they have been unjustly portrayed and posted their reply on
Jayski’s on Tuesday, March 23, 2004. They feel strongly that a
retraction should be forthcoming both from Mike Mulhern of the Winston
Salem Journal as well as myself. To date no retraction of his statement
has been issued by Mr. Mulhern.

I received two letters from Nextel, one from Mr. Mike Mooney, APR,
Director, Corporate Communications, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and
Elizabeth Brooks, Vice President, Corporate Communications.
Since I am a “commentator” who voices “opinions” on the current state of
affairs in stock car racing, and my opinion was based on comments by Mr.
Mulhern, I feel it is therefore fair to also share those communications
I received from Nextel.

=================================================================================

Letter from Mr. Mike Mooney, APR, Director, Corporate
Communications, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series:

Good morning, Carol.

Just read your article this morning and found it to be an interesting
commentary. Unfortunately, the views that you wrote upon are not those
of Nextel. I'm sure you can understand how angry we are to have been
improperly portrayed, especially in regards to our support of service
men and women. Below is the statement that I put out to the many fans
who emailed Nextel with similar concerns. In fact, Jay at Jayski even
posted it on his homepage (Tuesday, 3/23) for fans to read and
understand that what Mike Mulhern wrote was note even close to how
Nextel feels about this great country and its service men and women.

I understand that you are writing your views on topics that you see or
hear about within the industry. I ask that, with this information, you
take the time to set the record straight with the many fans who read
your column and have walked away with a negative and obviously wrong
impression of Nextel.

My contact information is below and is readily available for any
journalist who is interested in writing about Nextel and wants to
confirm information with me for accuracy. Please feel free to call me if
you have any questions on this or future topics.
Mr. Mooney also attached a copy of the response that had been posted of
Jayski’s as well as all telephone numbers including his cell phone where
he could be contacted.

================================================================================

Letter from Elizabeth Brooks, Vice President, Corporate
Communications:

Ms. Bell,

Mike Mooney on my team has no doubt tried to reach you regarding your
article this week but I also want to personally tell you how
disappointed I was to read it. You don't really know 'mad' until you
read the sort of misinformed slander that you put into your article.
Seeing information that is dead wrong picked up and reprinted by another
media source without so much as a phone call to us to verify the
accuracy of what you read breaches every tenet of journalistic
integrity.

For the record, what Mike Mulhern wrote was dead wrong and out of
context. And we have spoken with him about it. He apologized profusedly
when we called him on it and promised a retraction which he has not
printed. He had his facts wrong and so do you. I hope that you will have
the decency to correct the record.

If you ever have a question about where Nextel stands on any issue
related to NASCAR, our patriotism or any other aspect of our business,
please do us the courtesy of calling to ask. My numbers are listed below
so that you will have no difficulty reaching us.
Ms. Brooks also included her contact information.

===================================================================================

My Response

On March 21, 2004, Mr. Mulhern posted a story in his column using
unnamed sources, that Nextel officials might prefer a more
middle-of-the-road approach to the militaristic displays that have
become so popular with fans during the NASCAR pre race ceremonies. My
column was written that same evening, March 21, 2004, voicing my opinion
based on Mr. Mulhern’s comments. Nextel’s response to Mr. Mulhern’s
column appeared the following day. Nextel has contacted Mr. Mulhern for
a retraction and none has been published. Should Mr. Mulhern issue a
retraction, then an apology for references made to Mr. Mulhern’s
comments alluded to in the second paragraph of my article would be
appropriate as well as remarks concerning the disrespect to President
George W. Bush by referring to him as “Republican George Bush” rather
that by “President George W. Bush and also indirectly attributed to
Nextel in paragraph five.

Nextel appears sincere in their statement that they too support our
military and our country. Mr.  Mooney has stated in his letter that
“what Mike Mulhern wrote was note even close to how Nextel feels about
this great country and its service men and women” and Ms. Brooks
stressed in her letter that “what Mike Mulhern wrote was dead wrong and
out of context”.
Their program supporting the Red Cross efforts towards our service men
and women is admirable, and they appear sincere in their reaction. For
now, let’s take their word for it.

http://insiderracingnews.com/CB/032804.html

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