Topic: CNSNews.com
CNSNews.com editor in chief Terry Jeffrey spent a June 7 article writing a gushy obituary that started this way:
Foster Friess lived a life that exemplified the American ideal in both the trajectory he followed and the values he embraced.
He grew up in the small northern Wisconsin town of Rice Lake and attended the public high school there—where he played center on the basketball team, ran hurdles for the track team and starred in both sports.
At the same time, he was recognized as an honor student and named valedictorian of his class.
Through hard work and dedication, his father, who did not have the opportunity to go to college, and his mother, who did not even attend high school, taught him lessons at least as valuable as those he learned in school.
Jeffrey went on to tout how Friess met his future wife -- "who was, literally, a beauty queen" -- at college, then enlisted in the Army, then started an investment firm with "select" clients. Taht was followed by mor gushing over Friess' philanthropy efforts. but it wasn't until the final three paragraphs of this 32-paragraph article that Jeffrey revealed the reason why his article exists: first, the actual news angle that Friess died, and then, that he was a donor to his parent organization, the Media Research Center:
Friess, who was 81, died of bone marrow cancer in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 27. He is survived by his wife Lynn—to whom he was married for almost 59 years—and by their four children--Traci, Stephen, Carrie and Michael--and by fifteen grandchildren.
“I knew Foster Friess for over 30 years,” said Media Research Center Founder and President Brent Bozell. “Few were more generous in their funding of the MRC and more generous in spirit to me personally. I am going to miss that giant, soft, goofy, profound soul.”
Foster Friess was a giver, not a taker—who constantly gave back to the communities, the country, and the causes that gave him and so many other Americans the opportunity to live fulfilling lives.
More importantly -- which Jeffrey didn't explicitly point out -- one of the things Friess gave was part of Jeffrey's sallary. Jeffrey didn't report how much money Freiss gave to the MRC, but he gave enough to be given "diamond" status at its 20th and 25th anniversary galas.
However much it was, it was clearly enough that the MRC felt the need to order one of its employees to write a fawning obit for him. Who says money doesn't talk?
