August 5, 2008

I knew it would happen eventually.

And it happened today.

Before I get into what “it” is, you need some history.

Several months ago Jack Lessenberry, the ombudsman for Toledo’s daily newspaper The Blade, and I both participated on a panel presentation, and afterwards we had a brief conversation about David Yonke’s personal blog. (David Yonke, for those of you who aren’t local, is the Religion Editor for The Blade) I told Lessenberry that I didn’t think it was very professional, or ethical that Yonke was offering his personal opinions on the same stories he was writing as religion editor. I wondered how Yonke could truly be an objective journalist. Lessenberry asked that I send him some copies of the blog entries I was talking about, so I did.

A few weeks ago, Lessenberry wrote in The Blade that while he found some of my concerns without merit, he did write…

 In your ombudsman's opinion, The Blade needs to develop an official policy for its editorial employees and their personal blogs, one that recognizes the right to self-expression while making sure we do nothing to take away from the perception that we can report any story fairly, without prejudice or bias.

He also writes that he thinks Yonke did cross the line in his blog…

Mr. Yonke also said he hoped his articles "will serve a purpose in reminding priests and seminarians and ministers of their higher calling and deter them from even thinking about committing such crimes or indiscretions in the future."  Here, I think Mr. Yonke went over the line. Journalists ought to be in the position of reporting and perhaps analyzing what happens. It isn't our job to be the thought or moral police. Some might argue that this was something done on Mr. Yonke's private space during his own time and that The Blade has no right to raise any objections to it. But in fact, he is doing it in a public space. 

I don’t know if an official policy will ever be developed at The Blade about personal blogs, but for what it’s worth, I’ve read that the New York Times and the Washington Times do have such policies.

Let’s get back to what happened today. Two women came to Yonke’s defense with two separate letters to the editor in today’s Blade. As I said at the beginning of today’s entry, I knew this would happen eventually. One letter attacked some of my actions and words in my role as diocesan communications director. The author of the other letter claims to know when I’m upset and when I’m not.

I knew I was going to write about the two letters in this blog today, but much to the surprise of many, I’m not going write anything defensive, I’m not going to write anything sarcastic, and I’m not going to challenge any of their criticisms of  me as diocesan communications director, or their comments about me personally. I’ve made this decision not because I think they are correct, but because I know what is right, and what is true.

R.I.P. Dad
11/12/26 -8/5/93
I miss you.
 Sally