By Al Cross
Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues
The Cherokee Scout of Murphy, N.C., is getting a lot of journalistic grief for its abject apology to readers for seeking records of local permits to carry concealed deadly weapons. The paper and its owner, Community Newspapers Inc. of Athens, Ga., aren't saying anything about the matter beyond what is or will be in the weekly paper, perhaps hoping that their general reputation for good journalism will eventually tamp down the criticism.
Taking issue with the apology is like shooting fish in a barrel, but those outsiders who are quick to criticize the Scout and Publisher David Brown need to know that the episode was the latest in a long-running battle with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, which has had legal problems and created a community uproar by posting on its Facebook page its correspondence with the paper about the matter. That prompted the apology.
We don't know what the paper wanted with the records, or what it intended to publish, and until we do, it shouldn't be faulted for asking. The paper said it wasn't going to publish the names but "We thought it would be revealing to share, for example, how many residents in a specific area had gun permits." And though it has withdrawn its perfectly legal request, that shouldn't mean that the sheriff has won. Some other publication, journalist or other citizen who's willing and able to go to court should file the same request and sue the sheriff when he denies it. And this enterprise wouldn't be just about making a point; it seems there's a good story in the paper's battle with the sheriff, a story about the difficulty of doing journalism that keeps powerful local officials accountable when they think, and maybe know, that no one else will.
Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues
The Cherokee Scout of Murphy, N.C., is getting a lot of journalistic grief for its abject apology to readers for seeking records of local permits to carry concealed deadly weapons. The paper and its owner, Community Newspapers Inc. of Athens, Ga., aren't saying anything about the matter beyond what is or will be in the weekly paper, perhaps hoping that their general reputation for good journalism will eventually tamp down the criticism.
Taking issue with the apology is like shooting fish in a barrel, but those outsiders who are quick to criticize the Scout and Publisher David Brown need to know that the episode was the latest in a long-running battle with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, which has had legal problems and created a community uproar by posting on its Facebook page its correspondence with the paper about the matter. That prompted the apology.
1 comment:
Al's point about the local paper or in some communities a radio station being the ray of sanitizing sunlight isn't lost on right wing government bandits.
Other excuses of the right ... like sunset legislation ... are wishful thinking that as long as the legislation of decision have a specific date to expire are part of the out of sight - out of mind - mindset.
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