You read the column and the blog postings. Now watch the movie.
Web producers Erin Chapin and Lauren Spuhler have put together a sharp video presentation of the round table discussion the News Sentinel held last week on the topic of online comments on news stories.
Check it out and add you ideas on how to we can prevent toxic and hateful comments from ruining this vibrant new medium.
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Jack,
I’m still perplexed at the News-Sentinel’s whole hearted endorsement of Bill Lockett for County Law Director last Spring and this week’s opinion that he should resign. It causes me to wonder what type of venting or due dilligence did the News Sentinel initiate or undertake when they began analyzing potential candidates. It looks like the editorial board was really not supportive of Lockett as much as they were against John Owings, who the News Sentinel had faced off with in a much sensationalized court proceeding. I will agree that in my opinion Owings appeared to be more related to the problems in county government, than he did to any potential solutions in county government. However, when your endorsement for a candidate is followed by a recommended resignation, which may be necessary, it would appear that the News Sentinel’s editorial board either missed something or didn’t do any real due dilligence at all in vetting these candidates prior to an endorsement, such that it casts much question on what the News Sentinel was really doing anyway on this race. Absent some compelling qualification of a candidate the newspaper is supporting, it might be best to simply offer no endorsement, as such probably would have been appropriate here, as there was very little in the way of accolades for Lockett, other than his possible relationship with Mike Ragsdale, but more questions concerning the capability or talent of Owings.
If you really want Lockett to step down, just simply take him out, file your own complaint with the Tennessee Supreme Court regarding his capability to carry out his duties as the County Law Director. As a citizen of the community which is represented by the County Law Director, you have a right to voice your concerns about the quality of the representation, potential compromises in his ability, and the questions and concerns existing judges, boards, committees, and administrative agencies will have when given advise or given a position from a person with the questionable propensities like Lockett.
Knoxville is a clannish little community and a lot of thing which appear a certain way, really aren’t, and a lot of success in this community, when viewed objectively with full disclosures and comprehensive research, hasn’t been accomplished in a way we would like to tout as the right way. If the News Sentinel got fooled by Bill Lockett, what else have you missed?