A Clarification

One commenter and Lebanon Truth have both pointed out that I seem to be attributing some sort of bias to Lebanon Express reporter Larry Coonrod for his statement in yesterday's DH story.

I want to clarify, as it seems I was not clear enough to communicate what I wanted: I think what the Express is doing is right in this instance. Public records are public, and the school board should not have three members colluding outside a meeting to suspend the Superintendent. Whether or not one agrees with this, Debi Shimmin's work records - just like any other person employed by a governmental agency - are not private.

That said, Coonrod's statement, which I agree with the substance of, can easily be understood (or misunderstood) as placing him in opposition to the anti-Robinson crowd, who don't see the need for the public records request or the investigative journalism in the first place, because the only thing they see as wrong in all of this was that Robinson was reinstated.

Do I think that is the right interpretation? No, not at all. But I think it's a possible interpretation.

Do I think Coonrod should have taken the care to craft a statement that would have accommodated those folks who are inclined to see bias in his work? No, not at all. He stated, I assume, the truth as he understands it.

Do I think Coonrod has a pro-Robinson bias? I have no clue what his personal beliefs are - but his quote does not, as I personally understand it, reveal such a bias.

Rather, I was trying to point out that what he did say, as a vigorous defense of the public's right to know, could be understood, from a particular perspective, as something else entirely - rightly or wrongly.

Pointing out alternative interpretations of public statements or actions, or playing the devil's advocate, by the way, is one of the things I am trying to do when I post on Lebanon. It's just the way I have been trained to look at things.