CHECK THE FACTS, THEN PRINT THE NEWS

Readers of the Southeast Missourian have been vigilant in their commentary on recent news stories. They have cited two topics, about which several stories were written, in particular: the affair involving three teachers and the hoax perpetrated by a Cape Girardeau woman in an effort to save a convicted killer on death row. Some readers have likened the reporting and the display of the stories to the National Enquirer, a representative tabloid of the ilk that will print anything that sells.

Without apology, here is a review of the considerations at stake as choices were made to run the recent stories, which were important to readers for a variety of reasons, even if some readers were offended or otherwise vexed by the presentation.

The school triangle:

It is a paradox that the reason cited most often for taking umbrage at the stories about married teachers having affairs and, ultimately, engaging in life-threatening activities involving handguns is the very same reason most parents cite when they affirm their support for teachers who make good role models for students. Simply put, the community standard is somewhat two-faced. On the one hand school patrons will put up with a well-known affair involving teachers about whom there has been much gossip, but on the other hand some of the same patrons are offended when the facts are reported or the individuals involved are quoted in the newspaper.

When a teacher shoots a school nurse, it is news, and the reporting of that news raises legitimate questions in the minds of readers. The Southeast Missourian's coverage of this ongoing story included accusations from the teacher's attorney about the school nurse. When the school nurse read these accusations, she appropriately thought she was entitled to have her side in the paper too, and she called to request an interview. Subsequently that story and a photograph of the school nurse were published, which set off yet another howl of protests from readers who said their sensibilities were offended and the newspaper used poor judgment in presenting the news.

Through it all, there was a keen interest among readers, evidenced by their comments through telephone calls to Speak Out and to members of the newspaper staff. The newspaper's responsibility to keep its readers informed was well served by its staff and by the readers who commented favorably or unfavorably. That is the stuff of a good information exchange.

There is a compelling interest among readers and an obligation on the part of any newspaper when servants of taxpayers are caught up in sordid events. This was the obligation that the Southeast Missouri met in its coverage.

The identity hoax:

When the Washington Times wrote a long background story on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas week before last, it didn't know there would be a bizarre turn of events. Lucas is on death row in a Texas prison awaiting execution. Initially, the Washington Times examined the ugly life of Lucas, who has at times claimed to have killed hundreds of people. One of his victims was Becky Powell, whose body was positively identified more than 10 years ago, resulting in one of Lucas' convictions. (Much earlier, Lucas stabbed his own mother to death and served time in a mental hospital and in prison before he was released.)

But then a curious thing happened. A woman showed up in Texas claiming to be Becky Powell. She convinced Lucas' attorney, who saw the possibility that one of the killer's convictions could be overturned. What the attorney didn't know -- and what the Washington Times didn't bother to check on -- was that Becky Powell was really Phyllis Wilcox of Cape Girardeau, a woman who became infatuated with Lucas after reading a book about him. She because so infatuated, in fact, that she schemed to assume Becky Powell's identity despite a sizable age difference. Part of her motivation, she said later, was the possibility of movie and book offers for her story, no matter how it turned out.

The Southeast Missourian's obligation in this instance was to either confirm the woman's story or expose it. We chose not to accept the story as it was presented by CNN and the Washington Times and other national media without first checking the facts. In the process, readers again questioned the way in which the story was presented. It was a story of importance to this newspaper's readers, because national newspapers and television networks were accepting the fraud almost without blinking an eye. A call to the local police department and a check of a high school yearbook by Southeast Missourian reporters brought down Phyllis Wilcox's house of cards.

In both cases, the Southeast Missourian adhered to its mission of presenting factual information to its readers, who, in their own way and from their own perspectives, could evaluate what they were reading and form their own conclusions. If some readers chose to condemn the newspaper, that is their right. If some readers thought the newspaper sensationalized the stories, that is their right too. The Southeast Missourian believes they were both sensational stories that were well read by thousands of readers who appreciated knowing what was going on from a reliable source.