Anonymous charges require verification
The page one story this week on a police officer’s resignation following a dispute over care for his K-9 partner, is not about the charges of misconduct in the department that were posted on the Internet, but rather how they were made.
The real story is the nature the attack, because the unrestricted and anonymous features of the Internet make it impossible to know anything for sure.
That’s the problem with many grievance blogs and comment sections. There is no vetting of the remarks made, no attempt to ascertain motives or what is true and what is fiction.
These things are unmonitored blackboards that invite any point of view, fair and honest, malicious and self-serving or not. The blackboard doesn’t care and can’t be held accountable for what people write on it.
This isn’t to defend the department or, on the other hand, to suggest that there is no factual foundation for the complaints. The point is, accusations leveled by anonymous individuals are easy to deny because they can’t be documented. As any investigator knows, a solid case requires substantiating evidence or some form of corroboration.
True enough, newspapers will employ anonymous sources on occasion, but almost always they require more than one and they do attempt to ascertain the veracity of statements made. Although charges abound that newspapers aren’t ethical, are biased and have no integrity, they still do a better job of getting at the truth than most other forms of media. They are accountable to the public, which is why most of them require signed letters to the editor.
Having said that, if any of these allegations are true, the doors of this office are open.
Source
Publisher's Notes: While I have a tremendous respect for Stewart Dobson, I will agree to disagree with his article. Salisbury News, (unlike most Blogs) does moderate ALL comments.
Look, the fact that we got this story EIGHT days ago and the MSM seems to be covering their tail because such a huge story made it to a Blog instead of their newspapers is their problem. IF the newspapers today had any credibility left, people would still be flocking to them with news. The fact that a story now takes anywhere from two to EIGHT days to hit the news stand, clearly they're a dying breed with today's technology.
Our original story was fair and balanced. One look at that article will prove we did not finger point or mislead any of our readers in any way. Jealousy is quite common when you deliver the story of the year and it delivers almost 350 comments. Come on Stewart, "grievance blogs" are you serious? After SEVEN years of doing this, that's what you want to call me. You have every right to your opinion and I respect that. However, we have broken more important stories over those years in which your newspaper has piggybacked on.
"These things are unmonitored blackboards that invite any point of view, fair and honest, malicious and self-serving or not. The blackboard doesn’t care and can’t be held accountable for what people write on it." Are you serious? Since when have you ever been held accountable for what YOU say Stewart? The MSM likes to pound their chest and act like they are held to a higher level but guess what, talk to 90% of the people these newspaper have interviewed and they will ALL tell you they either never stated what was quoted OR they got most of the story wrong. It's a fact Folks.
"The point is, accusations leveled by anonymous individuals are easy to deny because they can’t be documented. As any investigator knows, a solid case requires substantiating evidence or some form of corroboration." Have YOU investigated ANY of the things stated in comments Stewart? WILL ANYONE? Probably not, because you didn't get the original story. You have been in Ocean City for a LOT of years Stewart. I'm confident it wouldn't take you very long at all to get to the bottom of those comments. My guess is, you really don't care and you don't want to spend the time finding out at this point. We've provided the engine, it's now your time to add fuel and make this puppy run. Let's see what happens in next week's paper?
"They are accountable to the public, which is why most of them require signed letters to the editor." We have signed letters to the editor, we just don't provide them. IF I'm ever challenged, we have the information needed to make them credible. However, there are some very nasty Bloggers out there who will personally attack these people and we prefer to leave their names out of their stories. Then there are also those ambulance chaser newspapers who jump right on these messages as well and won't leave them alone.
I invite you to come to my Office at 300 W. Main Street and spend a day in my world. You can help us moderate the 600 to 800 comments coming in per day to see that we do weed out the nasty comments and personal attacks. I'm confident by days end you will be flabbergasted in what it takes to run a REAL TIME Blog. I look forward to hearing from you and spending a day in my world. It will make for one hell of a story if you're up for the challenge. I also believe you'll be amazed at what we provide in one days time. Phone calls, meetings, pictures, e-mail, text messages, visitors, research, publishing, it's a LOT more than you guys do and we do it seven days a week with only TWO people.
13 comments:
I honestly believe that Mr. Dobson is an intelligent man who is well versed and cognizant of Ocean City's corruption.
Surely he's not referring to the Daily Disapointment...
Did you know that OC Council President Jim Hall is a part owner of the OC Today? To be honest you, I'm suprised both the Dispatch and OC Today said as much as they did this week. The Dispatch's Editorial wasn't much better. Seems like they think the Chief and the Department will come out ok in this mess. I hope that isn't the case but who knows. Thanks for all the efforst you have dones Joe...
I read this article on the OC today website and when I tried to see who had written it I couldn't find a name posted anywhere. Did I miss it or did they just want to remain anonymous? lol
7:44 and????
If the OC or Dispatch want to prove themselves legit THEY should investigate the allegations themselves and now. Way to much smoke to be NO fire, something smells real bad they should investigate the odor!
Earl came to SBYNews to make the public aware of how K9 Charlie suffered because of misunderstandings and red tape. Through this blog he was hoping only to get the Ocean City police department to set regulations so future K9 dogs would not suffer as K9 Charlie did. That is exactly what Earl stated in one of the earlier stories.
What happened to that story. This blog has made this story about everything but Earl's one concern.
Blogs do that - everyone has an opinion and many have personal vendettas to comment on. It is unfair that the purpose of Earl coming to Salisbury News has been brushed aside by viewers who voiced opinions other than Charlie's plight. Many comments were posted, that were vendettas against others even though the owner says he moderates comments. But we all know life is often unfair.
So Joe I agree to disagree with your Editor's note and agree with OC Times editorial. No hard feelings, but I believe K9 Charlie is the important part of the story but he was taken out of the limelight a week ago when you chose to post comments that had nothing whatsoever to do with Earl and Charlie. I notice most blogs do not stay on subject - including this one.
I did not know that 8:27 as far as Jim Hall being part-owner of the paper. It leaves us all to wonder if he is the one typing in an incognito manner as ANON 9:57...
Joe, while you did break the story first...both OC Today and The Dispatch are weekly papers. Since Campbell resigned last Friday after their editions were already out, this Friday is the earliest they possibly could have gotten the story to print.
It's undeniable that you broke the story, but I don't see either the Dispatch or OC Today "covering their tails." They got the story into the first edition available.
As a previous member of OCPD and a higher ranking officer, this whole situation is not unexpected but is deserved by the Ocean City government. Those in power ( Mayor and City Council) were warned about Dipino's appointment as chief prior to the final decision. Since his name hasn't been mentioned, then Mayor Jim Mathias was partially responsible for this farce.
At the time of her appointment, she was EXTREMELY FAMILIAR with the City Council MEN. Her appointment was also made so that the higher paid, more experienced officers would resign, thus saving the city money in the way of salary and benefits in the police department. The government should now add up the amount of money Dipino has cost the city in litigation costs, lawsuits and payouts. I'm sure the city would have saved money by not making her chief.
This axe (Dipino) has sliced off much needed experience throughout the department and especially in the command staff. The knowledge and experience lost with the loss of so many previous officers has come at a high price paid by citizens and visitors to Ocean City.
anonymous 11:13, NICE TRY. Campbell resigned on the 7th or 8th, not on Friday the 9th. They had NO CLUE the story was even out there to be had until they read it here first. My point, IF Earl felt his story could be best heard elsewhere he would have gone there first.
Lol Joe, I'm not arguing that you didn't beat them to the story. Campbell went to you instead of either of them for his own reasons. I'm not sure why he decided to do that, since he did eventually talk to both papers and both OC Today and Dispatch seemed to do a decent job of covering both sides.
I was under the impression that he officially resigned the 9th. So was it that Thursday or Wednesday?
Dobson is most likely one of Hall's brown-nosers being told what to write in order to be a good boy.
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