Search Results for: the tennessee star

The Tennessee Star Celebrates Its First Anniversary and Over 5 Million Visits

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  One year ago Tuesday, February 6, The Tennessee Star launched into the news media scene. Since then, the news organization has filed more than 4,500 stories and received over five million visits from people all over Middle Tennessee, across the Volunteer State and around the world. “I remember that first moment when we went live,” Managing Editor Christina Botteri said. “It was like being all ready for a party, but before anyone shows up…. Will anyone come? Will they see what we are doing and appreciate the fresh take on the news of the day?” Botteri didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Within the first 24 hours, the brand-new website had over 3,000 unique visitors, and over 9,000 visits. “We out performed our projections by a factor of three,” Botteri said. “By the end of our first month – a mere 22 days – we were visited over 175,000 times,” Botteri recalled, adding, “We realized almost immediately we would have to upgrade our servers in order to handle all the the traffic.” Through March, The Star began reporting on Governor Haslam’s gas tax hike proposal and readership soared to over 285,000 visits within that 31-day period alone, followed by…

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The Tennessee Star Blazes by 4 Million Visits

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  FRANKLIN, Tennessee–In less than two months since September, traffic at The Tennessee Star has grown from 3 million visits to an astounding 4 million visits subsequent to its launch in early February. WOW!! We just had our FOUR MILLIONTH visit to The https://t.co/Awo9LigL60 since our launch Feb 6. THANK YOU, Tennessee – your readership and support mean the world to us! pic.twitter.com/aThos9gCeg — Tennessee Star (@TheTNStar) November 17, 2017 Launched on February 6, The Star hit the 3 million visit mark on September 23. It took just 7  weeks and 6 days to add another 1 million visits and hit the 4 million visit mark on Friday, November 17. It took The Star 3 months and 16 days from its launch on February 6 until it hit the first 1 million visit mark on May 23. Adding another million total visits in about half the time it took to reach the first million visits is a sign The Star’s traffic growth continues to accelerate dramatically. When asked what the secret to the upstart news outlet’s success is, Managing Editor Christina Botteri replied, “That is an interesting question. I believe it’s a number of factors that together, have created a new…

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Boss Doss Runs Away From The Tennessee Star At Megan Barry Transit Launch Event

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – After sitting in the front row throughout Metro Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Transit Launch Event Tuesday for the “Let’s Move Nashville Metro’s Transportation Solution,” State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) ran away from The Tennessee Star, avoiding follow-up questions on his sponsorship of the IMPROVE Act, a major portion of which was dedicated to enabling public transit systems like the $5.2 billion “Solution” Barry unveiled. Going off his prepared script to ensure Doss was given special recognition for his role in the passage of the IMPROVE Act, Democratic State Senator from Nashville, Jeff Yarbro, one of the event’s speakers explained, “This legislature’s biggest priority this year was addressing the growing traffic problems in middle Tennessee and across this whole state.” Then, gesturing to acknowledge Doss sitting in the front row, “In order to do that, we really relied on a bipartisan coalition that included people like Barry Doss,” said Yarbro as seen at 11:16 in this video. The IMPROVE Act enabled “local governments” designated as counties, including those with a metropolitan or consolidated form of government, with a population of more than 112,000 or cities with a population of more than 165,000 to implement tax surcharges to fund…

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The Tennessee Star Hits THREE MILLION Visits Since February Launch

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Tennessee Star

The Tennessee Star announced via Twitter Saturday that its online news site has been visited a staggering THREE MILLION times since launching February 6 of this year. Today we passed THREE MILLION VISITS to the https://t.co/CucY9Mxgrh since our launch in February! Thank you, Tennessee!!!! pic.twitter.com/oh37pdsNJA — Tennessee Star (@TheTNStar) September 23, 2017 “’Refreshing’ – that’s the word we hear the most from people who meet us at events around town,” said Managing Editor Christina Botteri. “The Tennessee Star is unique in that we offer a fact-based news site with a conservative worldview. I believe that is the reason we have seen such a tremendous expansion of readership in such a relatively short period of time,” she said. The news media start-up was flooded with new and returning visitors within the first few weeks, requiring major server upgrades months ahead of schedule. After a strong first month, increasing numbers of visitors sought out The Star to stay current with the breaking developments surrounding Governor Haslam’s unpopular gas tax hike. Readership quickly climbed to over 285,000 within that 31-day period. “When we launched our original Constitution Series in April, we saw another uptick in readership with about 370,000 for the month,” Botteri recalled.…

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The Polk Foundation Launches The Tennessee Star Constitution Project Featuring September 23 Constitution Bee for Students

Tennessee Star Staff

  FRANKLIN,Tennessee – The Polk Foundation today announced the launch of their initiative to teach secondary school students the cornerstones of American liberty: the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all the amendments. Dubbed The Tennessee Star Constitution Project, the effort includes: The publication and free distribution of an original book, The Tennessee Star Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students to teachers and secondary school students anywhere in the state who sign up to participate in the 2017-2018 academic year Pilot Project for use as supplementary material for eighth grade Social Studies, high school U.S. Government and Civics, American History, and political elective classes. The development and distribution of support materials based on the popular Constitution Series by The Tennessee Star for teachers, students, and adult volunteers. Training on its implementation in the classroom by teachers and in review sessions by adult volunteers. The first-of-its-kind Constitution Bee for Tennessee secondary school students, to be held in Pleasant View on September 23. Details about the unique project – including two full chapters of the book – are available for review at the Polk Foundation website: http://polkfdn.com. “For years, educators have struggled to fulfill…

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The Tennessee Star Celebrates Its TWO MILLIONTH Visit

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Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Star announced via Twitter Tuesday its online news site has been visited a whopping TWO MILLION times since its launch earlier this year. Today we had our TWO MILLIONTH visit to the https://t.co/CucY9Mxgrh since our launch Feb 6. Thank you, Tennessee – you're the BEST! pic.twitter.com/XOn5IM0Aui — Tennessee Star (@TheTNStar) July 11, 2017   The Tennessee Star went live on Monday, February 6 and by the end of the month – just 22 days later – The Star was visited over 175,000 times. “Tennesseans tell us that have wanted a fact-based news site with a conservative worldview for many years. That’s what we offer, and I believe that is the reason we have seen such a steep growth curve with no end in sight,” said Managing Editor Christina Botteri. The news media upstart experienced growing pains almost immediately, requiring them to upgrade their servers months ahead of schedule. After a strong inaugural month, visitors returned regularly and in growing numbers throughout March to stay current with the breaking developments surrounding Governor Haslam’s unpopular gas tax hike. Readership soared to over 285,000 within that 31-day period. “In April, we kicked off our ‘Constitution Series,’ and saw another uptick in readership with about 370,000 for the month,” Botteri recalled. The…

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Marsha Blackburn: ‘People Not Believing Evening News Is A Really Good Thing,’ Credits The Tennessee Star For Being ‘Reliable’

Laura Baigert

WOODBURY, Tennessee — U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7), speaking to a group of 125 at the Cannon County Reagan Day Dinner held at the Rustic Elegance Event Center in Woodbury Friday evening, said that the American people don’t believe what they hear on the evening news, and that’s “a really good thing.” Blackburn was introduced by one-time fellow Tennessee House colleague, gubernatorial candidate and State Senator for the district Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), who later spoke about her campaign platform, as did fellow candidate and Franklin businessman Bill Lee.  Representatives Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), also gave brief remarks at the event. Referencing a survey of 3,000 people, Blackburn said 70 percent said “no” to the question of whether they believe what they hear from the evening news.  She blamed that on the fact that they are simply not reliable, in contrast to a reliable news outlet “like The Tennessee Star.” After pointing out that if the evening news is not believable, the next question is who do they believe. Blackburn gave a message of optimism in pointing out that the answer is “Y-O-U.” “They believe their well-informed friends and neighbors.  People they trust and know.  Not Fox,…

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The Tennessee Star Announces Blockbuster Month with Over a Half-Million Visits

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Tennessee Star

  FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE (Wednesday, June 21) — In another stunning announcement, The Tennessee Star released updated web traffic reports in a tweet Wednesday that shows the online news, information, and opinion website surpassed 500,000 visits in the last thirty days. WOW! Thank you, Tennessee!!30days (5/20-6/20): 526,841 visits 290,288 visitorsAll time (2/06-6/20): 1,536,671 visits 712,233 visitors pic.twitter.com/HBxgV2CKnf — Tennessee Star (@TheTNStar) June 22, 2017 “In three months and two weeks we went from zero at our launch to over one million visits. Now, in just the last thirty days – a quarter of that time – we have been visited more than five hundred and twenty-five thousand times,” said managing editor Christina Botteri. “If there was a Moore’s Law for journalism and readership, we’d be doubling it right now!” Botteri said, referencing Intel founder Gordan Moore’s observation that computer processing speed doubles every 18 months. The explosion in traffic can be traced directly to The Star’s coverage of the top three areas of most concern for Middle Tennesseans, as reported in the Tennessee Star-Triton Poll released ten days ago, together with a fundamental understanding of the algorithms that drive social media traffic. “The poll results reflect what we observe personally, which is that there…

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State Senator Todd Gardenhire Complains The Tennessee Star Poll Asked About Illegal Immigrants, Not ‘Children of Undocumented Immigrants’

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

Stung by the results of the recent Tennessee Star Poll  showing 84 percent of likely Republican primary voters oppose providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), sponsor of two bills that would accomplish precisely that objective, complained on Monday that the poll asked about illegal immigrants rather than “children of undocumented immigrants who are brought to this country when they are very young.” “The question was worded in such a way to get the result they wanted,” Gardenhire complained to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The Tennessee Star Poll question asked likely Republican voters the following: “In 2018, the Tennessee General Assembly is expected to reconsider a bill to provide in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students. Do you support or oppose providing in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students?” 84 percent of Tennessee likely Republican primary voters disapproved of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. A resounding 68.9 percent strongly disapproved, the poll results showed: 68.9% Strongly Disapproved 15.5% Somewhat Disapproved 5.9% Somewhat Approved 5.2% Strongly Approved 4.5% Not Sure/don’t know “Gardenhire said that’s misleading,” the Times Free Press reported: He said “we’re not giving them anything” because the students live in Tennessee and would pay the…

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Humphrey on the Hill Compares The Tennessee Star Poll With The Vanderbilt Poll

Tennessee Star Staff

Tom Humphrey, dean of the Tennessee political press corps, wrote an article Thursday at “Humphrey on the Hill” contrasting the results of the recent Tennessee Star Poll with the Vanderbilt Poll, in an article titled, “A clash of polling perspectives on in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.” We reprint the article, in its entirety, below: A clash of polling perspectives on in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants The results of a Tennessee Star poll on support for granting in-state tuition rates to children of illegal immigrants living in Tennessee are strikingly different from results from a similar Vanderbilt University poll on the subject. Tennessee Star’s results, reported Thursday, are that 84 percent of the “likely Republican primary voters” surveyed are opposed while only 13 percent support the notion. The Vanderbilt poll, reported May 30, found 66 percent of registered voters favor the idea while just 30 percent oppose. One difference, of course, is the Star only asked declared Republicans while Vanderbilt covered all registered voters. But the Vandy poll found support for the proposal, which has failed on close votes in the General Assembly for the past two year, widespread despite party alignment. Among those identifying themselves as…

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JUGGERNAUT: The Tennessee Star Eclipses Single-Day Traffic Record Monday with Over 50,000 Visitors

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Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Star announced its online news site recorded over fifty thousand unique visitors in the twenty-four hour period between 12:00:00 a.m. and 11:59:59 p.m. Monday, June 5. “It was astonishing to watch,” said managing editor Christina Botteri. “Because of our rapid growth to date, we know the warning signs to look for when our servers get overheated. Early on, we thought there was a chance we were the subject of an attempted denial of service attack. But that was quickly disproven when we saw the organic – but very fast – correlating climb in our Facebook site referrals and shares.” Much of the sudden spike in traffic is thanks to a story featuring Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s vow to ignore the U.S. Constitution and uphold the Paris Climate Agreement – “even if President Trump doesn’t.” After President Trump made his now-famous ‘Pittsburgh-not-Paris’ speech Saturday, Barry, along with a cadre of Democrat mayors and governors across the country, issued statements admonishing the President’s decision. “The United States of America should be a global leader in addressing the dire impact of climate change on our civilization, and it is very disappointing that President Trump does not see that,” Mayor Barry said in…

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The Tennessee Star Poll: GOP Gubernatorial Primary Race is Wide Open, No Candidate Over 10 Percent

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – A new poll released by The Tennessee Star conducted by Triton Polling and Research of 1,007 likely Tennessee Republican primary voters shows that the party’s nomination for governor in 2018 is wide open, as no announced or likely candidate has the support of more than 10 percent of likely voters. More than 60 percent are undecided. When asked  “If the election was held today, who would you vote for governor of Tennessee,” and given seven possible candidates–State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) Congresswoman Diane Black, Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd, State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), Williamson County businessman Bill Lee, and State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville)–the likely Tennessee Republican primary voters surveyed in the poll responded as follows: 60.9% — Don’t Know Undecided 9.9% — Diane Black 8.1% — Randy Boyd 6.3% — Mark Green 4.3% — Beth Harwell 4.1% — Bill Lee 3.9% — Mae Beavers 2.5% — Mark Norris Since the poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percent, six of the seven candidates included in the poll are in a virtual tie for the lead. Mark Norris is the only candidate not in the statistical tie,…

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The Tennessee Star Tops 1 Million Website Visits in Less Than 4 Months

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Tennessee Star

  FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE (Tuesday, May 23) — Today The Tennessee Star announced its online news site has had ONE MILLION visits since its launch February 6. “The Tennessee Star is the only consistently conservative media outlet in the state of Tennessee. This is a conservative state, and Tennesseans have wanted a fact-based news site with a conservative perspective for many years. That’s what we offer, and that’s why we’ve seen such tremendous traffic,” said Managing Editor Christina Botteri. “People are smart and they want to be informed and not preached at or dictated to, and I believe that is a big part of why we are growing at such a substantial rate – especially compared to other area news outlets,” she said. Judson Phillips, a long-time conservative activist and Tea Party Nation founder agreed. “I am not shocked at the excellent performance of The Tennessee Star.  While the Gannett-owned papers read like newsletters for the Tennessee Democrat Party, The Star goes after important stories that the liberal media will not touch,” Phillips said. While the raw viewership of The Tennessee Star is remarkable, media experts also recognize the impact and influence the upstart news outlet is already having at Legislative Plaza. “Attracting one…

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The Tennessee Star Launches Constitution Series for Secondary School Students, Teachers and Parents

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  FRANKLIN, Tennessee – The Tennessee Star announced today it is publishing the first of twenty-five weekly articles in its Constitution Series for secondary school students, teachers and parents tomorrow, Monday, April 3. “The idea behind this series is to present the important story of our Constitution to Tennessee secondary students in grades 8 through 12 in a compelling way that will engage them on both an intellectual and emotional level,” says Christina Botteri, managing editor of The Star. “Each week we will advance the narrative of the Constitution in chronological order. Along the way, secondary students can use these articles as a guide to prepare for The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which we will hold in Middle Tennessee on September 23,” she adds. “Students will compete at that event to win first, second, and third place honors at each grade level. So each grade – 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th – will have a champion. In addition, the grade level champions will compete to become The Overall Champion of The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. The winner and overall champion, along with a parent, will win a grand prize of a trip to Washington, D.C.,” Botteri says. “About a dozen Tennesseans with experience in…

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Gannett’s ‘Tennessean’ Shrinks As The Tennessee Star Grows

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  Gannett News, the far left mainstream media giant based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, announced drastic cuts in its staff in all its major Tennessee publications on Tuesday, including The Tennessean and The Daily News Journal here in Middle Tennessee. “Today we underwent and completed a reduction in personnel in our news division in several of our Tennessee markets, as part of a transformative strategy for the USA TODAY NETWORK–Tennessee,” Tennessean publisher Laura Hollingworth wrote in an email to employees of Gannett’s Tennessee operations, the Nashville Scene reported. “We recognize that this has been a tough day, and we respect and appreciate the work of all our colleagues, especially those who have been impacted by these actions — through no fault of their own,” Hollingsworth said in her email. “A year after acquiring the Commercial Appeal and Knoxville News-Sentinel, Gannett made sizable cuts today in both of those newsrooms, in addition to laying off three reporters locally,” the Scene reported: In Memphis, sources tell the Scene that 17 staff members were eliminated in the newsroom, including seven digital producers, two photographers, two reporters, one clerk and five editors. In Knoxville, 11 were eliminated from the newsroom, including four managers. The…

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The Tennessee Star to Host RIGHT NOW Coverage of President Trump’s Visit to Nashville Wednesday, March 15

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  President Trump is coming to Nashville next Wednesday, March 15, and The Tennessee Star will be there to cover all the pageantry, protesters, and most importantly, the president and “We the People.” This is going to be a large event, and we recognize that there might be moments we miss, and so we are excited to announce we have set up dedicated channels to receive pictures, video, reports, and recordings from YOU! We call it RIGHT NOW Coverage. Here’s what to do: – At the rally, use your smartphone to take a picture or short video – Text your picture/video to The Tennessee Star at 615-538-8526 – Include your name (first name, last initial) and your hometown – Also include a short description of your picture/video Optional: Email your picture/video and description to [email protected] Example: “Three generations of our family are here to support President Trump! ~ Sarah T., Franklin, TN” We will have staff standing by to post your pictures and reports live and in REAL TIME all day – from before the Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens until the last protester leaves (about 2pm – 10pm). If your haven’t already, get your tickets to attend the event here. We are…

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Commentary: The New York Post Explains Why The Tennessee Star Will Win the Local Media Battle in The Volunteer State

Tennessee Star Staff

Salena Zito of the New York Post has probably not yet heard about The Tennessee Star. But in Thursday’s column titled “Why All Your News Now Comes With a Heap of Condescension,” she explained perfectly why The Tennessee Star will soon win the local media battle in the Volunteer State: Used to be that you consumed your news from a local reporter who lived in your community and covered events from a perspective you recognized. Today, as more and more local newspapers die, that relationship has evaporated. And folks are going to be less trusting of a reporter who works and lives in a cosmopolitan culture that has no connection with them. There’s no social consequence or contract because reporters and readers don’t have much in common. And politics reflects the culture, so pols increasingly retreat to the “safe spaces” of their preferred national media organizations. “Coverage of Trump is often treated as a proxy for how the press thinks of Trump’s supporters. That might be unfair to national reporters chasing down a controversial president. But the disconnect is exacerbated by the fact that far too many Americans don’t have a local press that understands them, and thus all their…

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The Tennessee Star Has 3,000 Unique Visitors on Launch Day

Tennessee Star Staff
Franklin

“The Tennessee Star website had more than 3,000 unique visitors on Monday, the day we launched,” managing editor Christina Botteri said shortly after midnight after all the day’s results were counted. “The remarkable thing about our traffic on launch day is that each visitor came back and visited different stories on the site several times during the day. The total number of page views and visits for Monday was well over 9,000,” Botteri added. “That means people are very interested in the kinds of stories we are covering, and how we report on them,” she concluded. Across Middle Tennessee, conservatives who have not had a reliable media outlet cheered the arrival of The Tennessee Star on the scene. Every story on the website is free of charge to readers, a marked contrast to the policies of the dominant left-leaning newspaper in the Middle Tennessee area. Botteri added that when people sign up on the site and give their email address, they are subscribing to the free Tennessee Star Daily email summary of important news, which will arrive every morning to set the tone for what’s on the news agenda in Middle Tennessee that day. The Tennessee Star Facebook page also…

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Kevin and Laura Baigert Join The Tennessee Star as Political Contributors and ‘Grassroots Pundits’

Tennessee Star Staff

Kevin Baigert, Laura Baigert, and former State Rep. Joe Carr Veteran grassroots activists Kevin and Laura Baigert are joining The Tennessee Star as political contributors and “grassroots pundits.” The Baigerts worked together at the 3M Company in Connecticut for a combined 37 years. When they retired in 2012, they were drawn to Tennessee by the wonderful people and the cost of living, and they quickly became two of the most well-respected and reliable conservative grassroots activists in the state. The team of two handled operations and logistics for the BEAT LAMAR project in 2013 and 2014, in 2015 co-founded Sumner Taxpayers Alliance with well-known activist Ben Cunningham, in 2016 handled the merchandising for WWTN radio host Ralph Bristol’s The 2nd Amendment is Homeland Security Tour, and have added “critical mass” to numerous conservative causes under the moniker “Roving Patriots.”    

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Professional Educators of Tennessee to Sponsor The Tennessee Star Constitution Bee

Tennessee Star Staff

Professional Educators of Tennessee announced on Monday they will be sponsoring The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. “It is vital that we rediscover the importance of our Constitution, and pass it along to the next generation,” J.C. Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, tells The Star. “We think a Constitution Bee is a good step to encourage that effort. The preservation of our liberties is an ongoing battle, something our Founders understood,” Bowman says. The event, to be held on Saturday, September 23 at a venue in Middle Tennessee still to be selected, is open to all secondary students in grades 8 through 12 who live in Tennessee. It is designed to focus on student knowledge of the Constitution and civics in the same way as the National Spelling Bee and the National Geography Bee. The top three students in each grade (8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th) will receive small cash prizes and be featured in profiles at The Tennessee Star. The five champions of the different grade levels will then compete for the title of Overall Champion of The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. That overall champion, and a parent, will win a trip to Washington, D.C. Judges…

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Tennessee Star to ‘Absolutely Appeal’ Judge’s Decision Not to Release One Single Page of Covenant School Killer Writings

Tom Pappert
Judge I'Ashea Myles, Michael Patrick Leahy

The Thursday ruling by Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles, when she decided not one single page of the writings of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale would be released, will “absolutely” be appealed, stated Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star and the CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM), on Friday.

Leahy declared in his Friday statement, “The judge has erroneously accepted a dubious copyright claim made by intervenors who should not have been allowed to intervene in this case in the first place.”

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FBI Gives Vague Response to The Tennessee Star’s FOIA Request over ‘Legacy Tokens’

Peter D'Abrosca

In response to The Tennessee Star’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the agency’s policy regarding “legacy tokens” left behind by mass killers, the FBI offered a vague response to an original comment request by The Star.

“While our standard practice is not to comment on specific products, which includes addressing their veracity, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve,” the FBI said by email. “The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

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Commentary: Court Threatens First Amendment Rights of Tennessee Star After Release of Covenant School Shooting Documents

RealClearWire
Judge I'Ashea L. Myles

The editor-in-chief and publisher of The Tennessee Star was ordered to appear in court last week and threatened with charges of contempt after his newspaper reported on an anonymously leaked collection of documents authored by Nashville mass shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale. Michael Patrick Leahy was joined by his attorneys in court on Monday for a “show-cause hearing,” where the journalist was asked by Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles to demonstrate why his outlet’s reporting does not subject him to contempt proceedings and sanctions.

On March 27, 2023, Hale (born Audrey Elizabeth Hale) entered the Covenant School armed with three semiautomatic guns and murdered six people, including three 9-year-old children. Hale, who was eventually shot and killed by police in the school, was a transgender man and former student at Covenant who harbored extremist sentiments on race, gender, and politics. The massacre remains the deadliest mass shooting in Tennessee history.

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Tennessee Star Publisher First Amendment Rights at Risk over Mass Shooter’s Writings, But Establishment Media, Press Advocates Eschew Story

Just the News
Michael Patrick Leahy

Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy unveiled the Nashville Covenant School mass shooter’s personal writings earlier this month, but no mainstream news outlets appear to have reported about the revelations, and only one has reported on the subsequent legal battle that Leahy faces for uncovering the documents.

Additionally, while journalists’ rights organizations traditionally would have provided counsel to a reporter like Leahy in court, few are willing to comment on the case, and Leahy is being represented by America First Legal and Daniel Horwitz, a Nashville-based attorney who focuses on the First Amendment.

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Media Outlets, Influencers Band Together to Show Support for Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief

Peter D'Abrosca
Michael Patrick Leahy

On the day when The Star News Network’s Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy is scheduled to appear before a judge for publishing information from the journal of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, news networks across America and the world have picked up the story. 

Leahy was ordered to appear Tennessee Chancery Court Judge l’Ashea Myles for a show cause hearing on Monday, to determine whether publishing the information interfered with Tennessee lawsuit in which Leahy and Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM) are seeking to compel the full release of Hale’s writings, including those that have been called a manifesto, by the Metro Nashville Police Department.

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Tennessee Lawmakers Defend Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief in Legal Case over Covenant Documents

Peter D'Abrosca
Jeremy Faison and Jason Zachary

Members of the Tennessee General Assembly took to X Friday to defend Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, who was ordered to appear before Tennessee Chancery Court Judge l’Ashea Myles for a show cause hearing on Monday.

Myles issued the order after The Star published dozens of articles reporting on writings from a journal recovered from Covenant School mass shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

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MNPD Confirms Authenticity of Covenant Killer Journal Obtained by The Tennessee Star

Tom Pappert
Audrey Elizabeth Hale

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Friday confirmed the authenticity of the 80 pages of writings from the journal of Covenant School killer Audrey Hale, which were obtained by The Tennessee Star last week.

A Friday morning legal filing by the police department involves a declaration by MNPD Lieutenant Alfredo Arevalo, who claimed to have information about the possible identity of the individual or group of people who provided the Covenant materials to The Star.

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Tennessee Judge Denies Motion by Star News CEO in Covenant Killer Writings Case, Raises Possibility of Prosecution as Leahy Files Emergency Appeal

Tom Pappert
Michael Patrick Leahy in Court

Michael Patrick Leahy, who is the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star and the CEO of  Star News Digital Media, Inc., on Thursday filed an emergency appeal with the Middle Tennessee Court of Appeals.

Leahy seeks to obtain a stay to would stop the Show Cause Hearing set in the June 10 order by Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles for Monday in the Tennessee case to unseal the writings of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

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Unsubstantiated Allegation by WSMV Reporter Prompts Judge to Order Show Cause Hearing over The Tennessee Star’s Reporting on Covenant Killer Investigation

Tom Pappert
WSMV Stacey Cameron

Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, could face contempt charges or other punitive action on June 17 over his publication’s reporting of the writings left by Covenant School killer Audrey Hale after her devastating attack on the Covenant School on March 27, 2023 that claimed the lives of three 9-year-old children and three adults.

The court date was set following an unsubstantiated allegation from WSMV 4 reporter Stacey Cameron to Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles.

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NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Refuses to Explain His Failure to Get Justin Jones on the Record about Allegations He Covered Up Report of 2020 Sexual Assault, Tries to Distract with False Claims About Tennessee Star Reporter

Kaitlin Housler
Phil Williams

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, addressed personal attacks from NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams over the weekend, saying such attacks are “absolute silliness” and a common tactic used by Williams when pressed on his “journalistic failings.”

On Sunday, Pappert reported on an interview between Williams and Dan Mandis, host of Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, where Williams said that he once asked Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) to respond to claims made by his former close colleague Jeneisha Harris on June 18, 2020 that the state lawmaker had covered up the sexual assault of two protesters by a homeless man.

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Tennessee House Passes Bill to Arm Trained Teachers amid Protests and Performative ‘Die-In’ for Media Starring Rep. Justin Jones

Tom Pappert
Justin Jones

The Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday approved HB 1202, which would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.

Protests threatened to interrupt the legislative body’s proceedings multiple times, with Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and his staffers at times joining protesters in performative acts of opposition to the bill.

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Tennessee Star Reporter Tom Pappert ‘Very Skeptical’ of Federal Bureau of Prisons Refusal to Move Unjustly Imprisoned J6 Defendant Stewart Parks to Minimum Security Camp Based on Original Security Classification

Kaitlin Housler

Tom Pappert, lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, said he is “very skeptical of the federal officials at the Bureau of Prisons” after an official with the bureau formally refused a written request by Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) to move unjustly imprisoned January 6 defendant Stewart Parks to the minimum security satellite camp located at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Memphis.

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Four Possible Candidates Tell Tennessee Star They May Seek GOP Nomination for TN-7 U.S. House Seat Following Retirement of Rep. Mark Green

Tom Pappert
TN-7 Possible GOP Candidates

Four possible Republican candidates expressed an interest in representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to The Tennessee Star when asked on Thursday after Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced his intention to retire from Congress at the end of his term.

The Star asked Dr. Omar Hamada, Robby Starbuck, Jeff Beierlein, Dr. Manny Sethi, and State Senators Bill Powers (R-Clarksville) and Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) about their interest in running for office.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Urges Move of Unjustly Convicted J6 Defendant Stewart Parks to Minimum Security Camp of FCI Memphis, Cites Tennessee Star Report

Tom Pappert
Rep. Andy Ogles / Stewart Parks

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) sent a letter to the Warden F.J. Bowers of the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis on Tuesday which urged him to immediately transfer unjustly convicted J6 defendant Stewart Parks to the facility’s minimum security camp.

Ogles sent his letter following the Sunday report from The Tennessee Star that revealed Parks is not in the minimum security camp where he was originally expected to serve his sentence, and is instead in a part of the federal prison that houses gang members, murderers and child molesters.

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EXCLUSIVE: Imprisoned J6 Defendant Stewart Parks Tells The Tennessee Star, ‘There Are Murderers and Child Molesters Here. No J6 Defendant Should Be in Such a Situation’

Tom Pappert

Unjustly convicted J6 defendant Stewart Parks spoke with Tennessee Star CEO Michael Patrick Leahy in a 15-minute phone call placed on Friday afternoon from the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, Tennessee. Parks self-reported to begin serving an eight-month sentence on Tuesday.

The Star and Leahy have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with FCI Memphis to obtain the 15-minute audio recording of that call. Inmates incarcerated at FCI are allowed to make 500 minutes of out bound phone calls per month, but each call is recorded and is limited to 15 minutes in length.

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Country Music Star Jelly Roll Testifies on Capitol Hill, Addresses the Fentanyl Crisis Under Questioning by Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty

Kaitlin Housler

Country music star Jelly Roll testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs this week at a hearing entitled “Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: Public Awareness and Legislative Solutions.”

Thursday’s hearing focused on the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, a bill that would create new economic sanctions authority and money laundering penalties for components of the fentanyl supply chain, including Chinese entities and Mexican cartels.

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Country Music Star HARDY to Headline Benefit Concert for Tennessee Tornado Victims

Kaitlin Housler

Country music connoisseur TheBenjiChord will host a benefit concert on Sunday in support of those impacted by the deadly tornadoes that ripped across Tennessee last weekend.

The country music stars that are scheduled to perform at the Unplugged For Tennessee: A Tornado Relief Benefit Concert on Sunday at Exit/In in Nashville include HARDY, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Dylan Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, Abby Anderson, Trey Lewis, Graham Barham, Payton Smith, Kylie Morgan, and Jay Allen.

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Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy Radio Show Moves to 760 AM, Nashville’s Only ‘America First’ Newstalk Station

Kaitlin Housler

The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, the radio show produced by the state’s leading conservative media company, begins broadcasting Monday, December 11 on Nashville’s newest conservative talk station 760 AM WENO “The Flame,” Nashville’s only America First newstalk station.

The Tennessee Star Report moves to its new home after a five-year run on TalkRadio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC. The show is produced by Star News Digital Media, the parent company of The Tennessee Star conservative news website.

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Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Claims Records of Visits Before Teen Starved to Death Cannot Be Released Until Trial

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) claimed in court on Wednesday that it could not release records of the agency’s actions prior to the starvation death of a 14-year-old in 2021.

A former Memphis reporter’s 2021 attempt to learn more about actions taken by DCS prior to the death of 14-year-old Brandon Gray, who was allegedly starved to death by his family members while being forced to live in what News Channel 3 called “a filthy, cold garage with a mattress, portable toilet, and bleach jug for a urinal,” quoting official documents the outlet obtained.

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FBI Asks Judge to Block Discovery in Tennessee Star’s Lawsuit Seeking Covenant Killer Records

M.D. Kittle

Earlier this month, attorneys for Star News Digital Media Inc., the parent company of The Star and The Star News Network, filed a motion after the leak of three pages of Covenant Presbyterian School mass murderer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s writings. The motion asserts the leak proves, “assuming the three pages’ authenticity,” that the FBI “could have selectively released” redacted portions of the manifesto without jeopardizing ongoing investigations.

The FBI has yet to confirm the authenticity of the manifesto pages shared online, but the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has confirmed they are Hale’s writings. Prior to that admission, The Star was among the first outlets to independently verify the pages were part of Hale’s manifesto.

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Commentary: The Reason Why Tennessee’s Teachers Are Walking Away Starts in the Classroom

Admin

Every morning, Tennessee parents wave goodbye to their kids as they head to school. And every morning, teachers open their doors to receive over a million students. Educators are the lifeblood of our communities. Not only do they teach our children, but they also serve as role models and support systems, pouring their hearts into our kids. But increasingly, Tennessee’s teachers are no longer rewarded by their students with a smile, a “thank you,” or an apple on the desk, but instead with pepper spray and a punch to the gut. And when school boards and local leaders turn the other way, it’s no wonder why so many teachers are forced to walk away from their career and the students they love. 

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Tennessee Star Files Records Request for Information on ‘Handwritten Words, Drawings, and Numbers’ Found on Covenant Killer’s Clothes

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessee Star filed a public records request seeking information related to “handwritten words, drawings, and numbers” found on the clothing of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, at the time of the mass shootings.

Michael Patrick Leahy, Tennessee citizen and CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc., parent company of The Tennessee Star, filed the records request Thursday morning with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. MNPD officials sent an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of the request.

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Tennessee State to Become First HBCU to Start Hockey Program

Peter D'Abrosca

Tennessee State University will become the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to have a hockey team, according to the school. 

“Tennessee State University is set to make history by becoming the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to offer men’s ice hockey at the collegiate level,” the school said in Wednesday press release. “TSU will make this groundbreaking announcement at Bridgestone Arena prior to the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The addition of ice hockey highlights the University’s dedication to fostering diversity, inclusion, and expanding athletic opportunities for students.”

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Parents of Children Murdered in Covenant School Mass Shooting Weigh in on Records Lawsuit, Blast Tennessee Star and Others for Seeking Covenant Killer Manifesto

M.D. Kittle

Parents of two of the children murdered in the Covenant School massacre are joining others in asking Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles to keep the Covenant killer’s manifesto and related documents locked from public view. 

The mother of William Kinney and the parents of Evelyn Dieckhaus, two of three 9-year-olds fatally shot in the March 27 mass shootings, issued declaration letters to the court detailing the pain they’ve suffered and lambasting the news outlets and other organizations suing to have the records released.

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The Tennessean Follows Lead of The Tennessee Star, Sues to Obtain the Covenant Killer Manifesto

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessean on Wednesday followed The Tennessee Star and other organizations in filing a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County demanding the release of the Covenant School killer’s manifesto and related documents. 

The Nashville-based newspaper’s lawsuit comes nearly two months after Audrey Elizabeth Hale shot her way into the Covenant Presbyterian Scho

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The Tennessee Star’s Public Records Lawsuit in Covenant Killer Case Transferred to Chancery Court

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessee Star’s state lawsuit demanding the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) release the Covenant School killer’s manifesto and related documents is being transferred to Chancery Court. 

Tennessee First Circuit Court Judge David Briley this week granted the transfer, requested by attorneys for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, defendants in the case. 

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