The Bias Surplus
As expected, The Tennessean downplays the good news in its report on the May revenue numbers.

The story focuses heavily on taxes in which revenue is "down," but selectively choses whether to focus on the May collections or total collections for the fiscal year in cases where revenue from a specific tax was UP in May but still down for the year, or vice versa.

"Sales and use tax collections, considered a reliable barometer of the state's economy, amounted to $385.7 million last month, DOWN about $3.91 million from May a year ago," the paper reports. But sales tax revenue is UP for the year. The Tennessean ignores this.

"Collection of taxes on mixed drinks, beer, wine, liquor and cigarettes were DOWN from May a year ago," The Tennessean reports, listing the percentage by which each of those taxes is "down." But collection of taxes on tobacco, beer, mixed drinks and alcoholic beverages are UP for the entire fiscal year. The Tennessean ignores this.

"Tobacco tax collections amounted to $6.8 million," says The Tennessean. That's true for the year, but revenue was UP in May. The Tennessean ignores this.

Just how biased is The Tennessean? In reporting the latest revenue numbers - which show $11.9 million in unexpected revenue growth, the word "down" appears four times as often in the story as the word "up." The net effect is a "news" story carefully designed to convey the false impression that total tax collections are still falling. But the truth is, May revenue included a $11.9 million surplus, and the state's shortfall fell by $11.9 million as the recovering economy begins to show up in the tax revenue.

Tennessee is on pace to have its second-best year ever for tax collections. No amount of distortion by The Tennessean can change that fact.