Viewpoints
Ketchikan Police Report
By Michael Moyer
December 24, 2007
Monday AM
I enjoy reading SitNews. What a great way to bring local news
to our region and the rest of the world. I am a bit concerned
however by the way your Ketchikan Police Report is published.
I have absolutely no concern about the press publishing a criminal
charge as this is good gossip. Good gossip is gossip that helps
to "police" our societies moral character. However,
and this is the difference, publishing how a Police call was
reported to police dispatch may influence the outcome of a trial
and borders on predjudice and slander. The embelishment of reality
is not needed in your attempt to manage our moral character.
I assume that is why you are publishing any of this information
in the first place.
Frequently, very frequently,
dispatchers recieve calls that turn out to be 180 degrees of
what they were called in as. You may as well just write any fantasy
you want and attach it to your reported charge as it really has
nothing to do with what may be found on scene. In fact there
are lots of calls made in anger or spite in an attempt to get
revenge on someone or on the police themselves. Please consider
this as you report these occurances and use good judgement. I
am sure the courts, the police, and the innocent until proven
guilty would appreciate it.
Michael Moyer
donegal3[at]go.com
Ketchikan, AK
About: "4th Generation
Alaskan"
Received December 22, 2007
- Published December 24, 2007
Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:
 Webmail
Your Opinion Letter to the Editor
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
E-mail your letters
& opinions to editor@sitnews.us
Your full name, city and state are required for publication.
SitNews
©2007
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska
|