The (Greensboro, NC) News & Record editor John Robinson defends his paper's decision not to disclose the location of the local hotel hosting a meeting of about forty Nazis. After commenters condemn and commend, Robinson asks, "Why is it important to you that you know the name of the place?"
I'd like to know what local hotel would host this group so that I can boycott them forevermore. Now that the original reason for keeping this information secret, the safety issue, has passed, the N&R has no reason not to reveal the name of the hotel-- add it to their online story and JR's blog post so that it becomes a part of the record, unless they are also interested in protecting an advertiser.
Must have been out on Wendover, my kid ate lunch at Cracker Barrel and saw a bunch of them there today.
ReplyDeleteThere were a bunch of them at the gun show at the coliseum yesterday.
Tony Wilkins
ReplyDeleteAugust 30, 2009 - 11:28 pm EDT
John Robinson actually said: "I'm open to hearing how the public would have been served in knowing where the Nazis were meeting."
Since when is your paper interested in "serving" the public instead of informing the public?
I see your point, Tony. There are a different set of considerations and implications if a newsorg is making reporting decisions based on a notion of serving the public good versus reporting the news.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere's my thing and I only say this because it's happened to me and I'm as open as I can be in answering questions and read lots of blogs:
ReplyDeleteDoes someone have to be reclusive or secretive if they simply didn't see the questions on other peoples' blogs and no one bothered to contact them directly with the question? And if they don't see it on the same day it's posted, does that absolutely mean they're out of touch or hiding something?
I feel bad if someone asks me something on a blog and I miss it for a day or two -- but you know, I don't know that I consider that the same as someone directly asking me a question.