Afflicting the Comfortable: Journalism and Politics in West Virginia (West Virginia and Appalachia) (WEST VIRIGINIA & APPALACHIA) [Hardcover]

THOMAS F. STAFFORD (Author)

Book Description

Series: WEST VIRIGINIA & APPALACHIA | Publication Date: November 30, 2005

Thomas Stafford asks himself where the media and journalism come into play when government and politics turn corrupt. A former journalist for the Charleston Gazette, Stafford investigated several scandals that have unsettled the Mountain State over the past few decades. During his investigations, Stafford found himself in a very precarious position. He felt obliged to tell the whole truth, and he believed in the need to serve the public, especially those West Virginians who were being abused by a political machine. Stafford’s reporting eventually led to pressure from politicians and powerbrokers that would force him to give up his career. With intense passion, he held the convictions of journalistic integrity throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Like a mason building a house brick by brick, Tom Stafford builds his case in great detail, showing a half-century of plundering and incompetence by others given high public trust, including at least one individual whose wrongs may yet end up costing the state as much as a billion dollars." John Olesky, journalist and editor for forty-three years

"As a member of the elite of West Virginia society, with access to the powerful, Stafford offers readers a unique insider's look into the events of his day, at times struggling with the social ostracism he and his family faced because of his reporting." Sharon Hatfield, author Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell

From the Back Cover

In 1990, the New York Times wrote, "Government corruption was not invented in West Virginia. But there are people who contend that West Virginia officials have done more than their share over the years to develop state-of-the-art techniques in vote theft, contract kickbacks, influence peddling and good old-fashioned bribery, extortion, fraud, tax evasion and outright stealing." While investigating such events as the Invest Right scandal, Thomas Stafford, a former journalist for the Charleston Gazette, would find himself in a very precarious position. As a reporter he felt obligated to tell the whole truth, and he believed in the need to serve the public and those West Virginians who were being abused by a political machine.

In Afflicting the Comfortable, Stafford relates such tales of the responsibility of journalism and politics in coordination with scandals that have unsettled the Mountain State over the past few decades. His probing would take him from the halls of Charleston to the center of our nation's ruling elite. Guided by his senses of duty, right, and fairness, he plunged head first into the misdeeds of West Virginia's politicians. His investigations would be the preface to the downfall of a governor and an adminstration that had robbed the state and the citizens of West Virginia for years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: West Virginia University Press; 1st Edition edition (November 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933202041
• ISBN-13: 978-1933202044
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, an incisive look at West Virginia politics, December 29, 2005

By 

David C. Klinger "jacksonnewf" (Martinsburg,, West Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Afflicting the Comfortable: Journalism and Politics in West Virginia (West Virginia and Appalachia) (WEST VIRIGINIA & APPALACHIA) (Hardcover)

This well-written and well-documented 2005 volume is everything that last year's "West Virginia Tough Boys" by Davis wasn't -- a hard look at West Virginia politics by a reporter who followed the game for years and conveys to the average reader how political life has been lived for decades in a corrupt state. Where Davis focused on political shenanigans by powerful sheriffs and courthouse rings in southern West Virginia's coal counties, Stafford takes a broader, more holistic view, following, in chronological order, the state administrations of various governors from the 1930s through the 1990s. Stafford's work is a lot easier to follow, doesn't rely so much on long, rambling passages from oral histories, and brings the practiced eye of a veteran statehouse political reporter to his subject. It's a valuable addition to the literature, however neither Davis nor Stafford really manages to satisfactorily answer the fundamental question: why has political corruption and malfeasance been permitted to persist for so long in America's poorest, neediest state?