The
following appeared on the Letters to the Editor page
in the hard copy of The Monument.
Mr.
Richard Barter of Gray submitted a letter to the editor
(see "Letters" page) and asked a series
of questions that he wanted us to answer. While the
Letters page in The Monument Newspaper is reserved
for the public to express their opinion with no comment
from this Editor, Mr. Barter specifically asked for
answers and we are happy to do this.
The Monument published an article entitled "Council
to seek clarity on conflict of interest" on July
21, 2005. Mr. Barter asked if this was a news story
or a quasi-editorial positioned as a news story. It
was a news story.
Mr. Barter wondered that since Mr. Clark of the GPLA
is mentioned twice by name in the article but Mr.
Barter asserts that Mr. Clark is not mentioned during
the discussion --might this be intentional and suggest
a personal conflict of interest? Vice-Chair Andy Upham
confirmed that he mentioned Ray Clark by name when
discussing this issue. The Monument's notes also reflect
this.
There is no conflict or personal agenda in The Monument's
reporting of factual news, even when it involves Ray
Clark, the editor of The Gray News.
Additionally, the Council indicated that they were
concerned with any and all office holders on the Library
Board of Trustees who may be facing issues of incompatibility
of office. This includes Mr. Clark, since he is a
Director of the GPLA and also a Council-appointed
Library Trustee.
The MMA excerpt that defined incompatibility of office
is indeed a point of view, that of the MMA. To include
it is news reporting. The only place that personal
commentary appears from the Editor is the Editorial
box on page 2, signified by a black header with the
word "Editorial."
Authoritative sourcing such as the MMA's explanation
to Municipal Officials on the difference between conflict
of interest and incompatibility of office was included
in the article because it enhances the reader's understanding
of issues that were publicly discussed. Authoritative
sourcing is included in newspaper articles in the
form of quotes from knowledgeable professionals, excerpts
from publications, and documentation from court cases,
for example. These practices help the reader clarify
nuanced and intricate issues and are standard news
reporting practices.
Mr. Clark and Mr. Gerardo both hold office on two
boards which may be later found to be incompatible.
The Council discussed this at the meeting. The Council
indicated that after they further their research they
may ask both members to vacate their Council-appointed
Library Trustee duties if they choose to continue
with the GPLA duties. It was not "slipped in,"
but was openly reported in The Monument Newspaper.
We thank Mr. Barter again for the opportunity to answer
his questions.
