MASON CITY – Former Mason City Council member Leonard Foster was written about today in the Globe Gazette’s website, sources told NIT. Political reporter John Skipper wrote that Mr. Foster is a candidate for either the Mayor’s seat or Second Ward City Council.
Upon hearing of this development, NIT contacted Mr. Foster to confirm his possible candidacy and ask about any interview he may have given the Globe Gazette.
“I’m not in the newspaper, I have it right here,” Mr. Foster said. “I haven’t declared anything,” he said, not having any idea that John Skipper had already published a story about him practically within minutes of a phone conversation the two men had earlier Monday.
Apparently, Mr. Foster called to speak to John Skipper today and voice his concerns about Skipper’s reporting, and admitted to Skipper he was contemplating a run for office. Based on that one conversation, Skipper wrote his story Monday on Foster’s political aspirations and other opinions on how business has been handled at City Hall.
“I’m surprised he did a story, it wasn’t an interview, it was a conversation,” Mr. Foster told NIT.
“The truth is, I may run for Second Ward, At-Large or Mayor,” Mr. Foster said. “I have no press release at this time.”
One local political insider told NIT that “this is now how Skipper and the Globe operate. It’s a rumor mill. He just wrote a story a week ago about not believing rumors about the mayor, and then he takes a phone call and creates news out of nothing, a conversation.”
John Skipper and the Globe Gazette also ran a story about mayoral candidate Quinn Symonds, who had not released any information to the press about running for mayor prior to John Skipper writing about his supposed candidacy. Symonds had only mentioned on his Facebook page that he was interested in running, and Skipper ran with the story. Symonds later admitted he was a formal candidate for mayor.
City Council candidate Jody Draper was was given more respect by John Skipper, who upon hearing that Mrs. Draper had announced her candidacy for the At-Large City seat on NIT made numerous phone calls to her to confirm her intentions.
Eventually, Mrs. Draper called John Skipper back and he got his story.
