According to the Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington, Illinois, Michael Moore’s movie Fahrenheit 9/11 contains a scene in which Moore altered their front page: Newspaper: Michael Moore Faked Front Page.

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

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph newspaper in central Illinois has sent a letter to Moore and his production company, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., asking Moore to apologize for using what the newspaper says was a doctored front page in the film, the paper reported Friday. It also is seeking compensatory damages of $1.

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

The paper says that headline never appeared on that day. It appeared in a Dec. 5, 2001, edition, but the headline 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.

UPDATE at 7/30/04 7:43:16 pm:

Here’s the story at the Pantagraph web site: Pantagraph to Moore: Headline use ‘misleading’ 07/30/04. (Hat tip: meshbender.)

BLOOMINGTON — The Pantagraph has a message for Michael Moore, creator of the movie hit, “Fahrenheit 9/11”:

If he wants to “edit” The Pantagraph, he should apply for a copy-editing job and not simply show made-over and “falsely represented” pages from the newspaper in his movie — or he should at least ask for permission first.

In a letter drafted Thursday and sent to Moore and the movie’s Santa Monica, Calif.-based distributor, Lions Gate Entertainment, the newspaper admonished him for his “unauthorized … misleading” use of The Pantagraph in the film. He also was cited for copyright infringement.

The letter, drafted by J. Casey Costigan of the Bloomington law firm, Costigan & Wollrab, seeks an apology, an explanation of how such a strange discrepancy occurred in his movie and compensatory damages — of $1.

“While we are highly flattered to be included in the movie,” said Pantagraph President and Publisher Henry Bird, “we are a bit disturbed that our pages were misrepresented.”

Previous attempts to reach Moore through Lions Gate by phone and e-mail were unsuccessful.