So the Billings Gazette posted this article late in the day on 6/29. They even highlighted it on their top banner as breaking news. I’m normally a supporter of the Gazette, but this article frustrated me to no end. Barry Beach has not been charged with a crime. He has not been proven guilty, no crime has been confirmed, but that’s not what you would think based on what they have posted and printed. I am not a Barry Beach supporter, but I firmly believe that the job of newspaper is to report the facts. Leave the impressions and decision making to the public. Don’t sensationalize, don’t influence. Just do your job and do it right the first time.

I sent a letter to the editor that basically states what I have printed above. I couldn’t find a contact button that allows me to discuss the issue without sending it via letter to the editor so that was the option I was left with. I doubt they’ll print it, but I hope other people in the Billings area will take notice and say something. This isn’t about Barry Beach, it’s about the news portraying somebody in a certain light before the facts and evidence are in. That isn’t their job, ever. Do the right thing, report the facts.

*** Updated *** Less than thirty minutes after I wrote my letter and posted this, the Billings Gazette actually called me to let me know that they received my letter and that it would be forwarded to the managing editor. I don’t know if anything will happen beyond that, but I will give credit where credit is due, I did not believe the Gazette would even acknowledge what I had written, much less contact me. Still, if anyone else feels the same way I do, or even differently!, please take the time to write the Gazette. If we don’t start holding our media to a higher standard, how we can we expect them to change?

https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/report-barry-beach-propositioned–year-old-girl/article_5e6fbaf0-d8a6-5fee-879e-dc5d020cb7b2.html

The job of the news

I’ve started to actively disagree with things when I encounter them.  It’s not that I have necessarily become more extreme in my views so much as I’ve become more vocal.  I’m more sure of my self when I voice my opinion or advocate for my position.  I don’t try to steam roll anyone, or advance… Continue reading The job of the news

It’s still way too early to know what will happen in Britain with the potential exit from the EU, but there are some very interesting parallels between their situation and ours. Very frustrated voter base, a conservative party pushing to go back to the way they say things used to be, political groups willing to say many unfounded and/or poorly researched things in order to advance a political agenda, unaware or uncaring of the potential consequences, and many apathetic voters that assume enough other people will vote against those bad ideas so they don’t worry enough to vote on their own.

The result so far has been chaos and a lot of unnecessary tension. That can happen here, too. Do your research people, check your facts, stop getting your news and “facts” from Facebook feeds and for damn sure vote, because you have no idea who else will, or won’t.

Just read this on a blog I like to read. The basic gist? Peanut M&Ms will trump Twinkies after the zombie apocalypse.

“This Just In
I’m packing up my study, and I found a bag of peanut flavored M&M’s in a box I’d never unpacked from our previous move in 1999.

17 years old.

What? Of course! Do you think I’d just let them sit there in the package?

Conclusion: useful shelf life of peanut flavored M&M’s is at least 17 years. They tasted fine.”

www.dubiousquality.blogspot.com