While it is certainly not unusual, particularly in these modern times, for someone to question the integrity and/or actions of a news organization, it is unusual for an elected local official to do so in a public meeting. When the facts are self-evident, one questions the need to respond. However, a lesson in what newspapers do and why we do it seems in order.
To set the stage: Wells County Commissioner Jeff Stringer utilized the conclusion of Monday’s meeting of the commissioners to give what he felt was a necessary public lashing to the News-Banner for reporting a story he didn’t like.
“It’s not a story,” he said.
An elected public official receives a death threat regarding issues before the governing board of which he serves as its leader. That’s news, plain and simple. It is also a crime.
In Indiana, threatening to commit a forcible felony or threatening a witness, spouse, or child of a witness is a Level 6 felony. It was called the Stop Intimidation of Public Officials Act when it became part of Indiana Code, making it a felony to threaten a public official in an attempt to influence their vote, decision, or other official action.
Threats can be written or oral, or may even be implied by a person’s conduct. The punishment for threatening a public official depends on the offender’s status. For example, first-time offenders may face a misdemeanor charge, while repeat offenders may face a felony charge.
We would not be a newspaper if we did not follow-up on information received and verified by multiple sources about a possible crime being committed against one of our elected officials.
It is based “on rumors and innuendos,” he said.
The existence of the threat was shared in a meeting with four other people, one of whom contacted the News-Banner and three of whom gave consistent details in separate, independent interviews. Given the chance to deny or confirm, Stringer chose “no comment.” The story was reviewed by several people at the N-B, including myself. Editor Holly Gaskill, the reporter of this story, also had it reviewed by the Hoosier State Press Association’s legal counsel.
It is noteworthy that no where in our reporting was it even inferred as to from which side of the solar issue this threat originated. Although the three witnesses shared their speculations and assumptions, none of that was included in the reporting.
Facts are facts.
“The people that reported it doesn’t have the whole story,” Stringer continued. “The people that brought it to the paper didn’t have the whole story.”
The commissioner was given the opportunity to share “the whole story.” If he felt the “threat” did not rise to the level of being a concern, he could have shared that. But he passed. However, those who were in the meeting all expressed their common perception that it was genuine. Furthermore, nothing we have seen or heard since has contradicted what was reported. Indeed, social media conversations have only confirmed.
“We should not give credit to any violence,” he added. “This is (not) things we should talk about.”
Before confirming that he had received a threat, Commissioner Mike Vanover’s initial response to a request for comment was that he didn’t want to draw attention to the issue. Obviously no one wants to encourage violence but by trying to sweep it under the rug, how can a community address these issues and make it known it is not acceptable? Do we not report that a gun was found at a local school in order to “not encourage violence”?
The article was published “just to stir conflict,” his statement continued.
Questioning the motives of why we do what we do goes to the core of what a newspaper is, particularly as opposed to being a “tabloid.”
Local newspapers have an interesting dual role of being both a community booster and a community watchdog. To ignore tackling the hard things, to only focus only on what does not involve conflict and disagreements, is not what a newspaper does.
We are proud of the work Holly did. Without fear or favor, we cover the news in Wells County.
DOUG BROWN
President and Publisher
