Complete Colorado‘s Todd Shepherd has destroyed a 9News Truth Test on the Jeffco School Board recalls – 9News should be embarrassed and its reporter Nelson Garcia should be fired. The Denver NBC-affiliate uses Truth Tests to review campaign ads weighing whether the claims in the ads can be substantiated. But, what happens when the “truth tellers” are lying or inaccurate?

This episode calls into question every single piece that Garcia has filed and is a public relations nightmare for the station in Denver after the station is already reeling from the CNBC presidential debate black eye.

Below is just one of the pieces he botched (although, he botched nearly all of it), but that’s not the worst of it. It’s the journalistic methods that are reminiscent of the Rolling Stone rape scandal combined with the outrageously-inappropriate presidential debate questioning from sibling CNBC that makes this stink to high heaven. According to Shepherd’s piece, Garcia never even bothered to contact the school district for the information he so badly botched. This is how the Rolling Stone scandal happened. At the very least, it’s irresponsible journalism and the worst, it’s intentionally misleading their audience from a position of trust.

How are 9News executives not freaking out right now?  How is the newsroom even standing by this story?

Here’s the fact the Garcia presented about the cost of the new school:

“The board approved the allocation of $15 million to construct a new K-8 school in northwest Arvada where the population is booming. But, the total cost to build the school will be $25 million. As of yet, no solid plans have been put in place to generate the additional $10 million. It is possible if the district ends up using a loan system known as Certificates of Participation, it will incur debt.”

Real fact:

The school approved the building of a less expensive K-6 school and allocated $18 million, a fact that is indisputable, but yet, according to Shepherd’s story, 9News is refusing to correct its story.  This is mind-blowing that a news station would be so blatantly biased.

Even worse? Rumor has it that the pro-recallers are now printing Garcia’s piece as a door-hanger for potential voters.  Will the pro-recallers will report Garcia’s piece as an in-kind donation?  We think they have to – and that Garcia must be fired in order for 9News to preserve any sense of legitimacy it has as a news organization.