Traverse City Record-Eagle

Your Views

March 22, 2010

Letters to the Editor: 03/22/2010

Reporting must be fair

I am writing to support your efforts to promote fairness in law enforcement. The newspaper has published several articles in which inequality in enforcement was the theme and there is no need to restate them here. It's enough to say that fairness is the cornerstone of law enforcement and that it should be practiced at all levels of society.

I am also writing to promote fairness in reporting. The recent arrest of Sgt. Monica Bradford, MSP, was reported with coverage of 24 column inches of space, included a picture of her and quotes from her and her employer. Though classed as a misdemeanor, her alleged drunk driving was a serious threat to the public and appears to have been handled fairly as reported.

Contrast this report with another, on the same page above the fold, in which a woman was arrested because of a different, potentially more serious threat to the public. Clarissa Bean was charged with a 20-year felony, selling controlled substances. This report carried no picture, no quotes from her, or her employer and covered 31/2 column inches.

Fairness in law enforcement promotes respect. Fairness in reporting does too.

Jerry Freels
Traverse City

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