Newspaper upset with Michael Moore

updated 8:02 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2004

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Filmmaker Michael Moore’s Bush-basing documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” has apparently upset more than Republicans.

The Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington said Friday it sent a letter to Moore and the film’s distributor, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., asking for an apology for using what it said was a doctored front page in his movie.

The paper is seeking $1 in damages.

A scene early in the movie shows newspaper headlines related to the contested 2000 presidential election. It includes a shot of The Pantagraph’s Dec. 19, 2001, front page, with the prominent headline, “Latest Florida recount shows Gore won election.”

The newspaper says that headline never appeared on that day.

The paper said the headline appeared in a Dec. 5, 2001, edition but was not used on the front page. Instead, it was found in much smaller type above a letter to the editor, which the paper says reflects “only the opinions of the letter writer.”

“If (Moore) wants to ‘edit’ The Pantagraph, he should apply for a copy-editing job,” the paper said.

Neither Lions Gate nor Moore were immediately available for comment Sunday.

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