Editor's Log

Don't get mad at us!

Just for the record, the News and Sentinel does NOT make up addresses for those arrested, cited into court, involved in legal action, etc. The newspaper gets the names, ages and addresses from public records: police reports, court documents and/or lawsuits.

But, not everyone tells the truth and gives their correct address, if they did they probably would not be violating the law in the first place.

At least two or three times a week a caller will talk to me, city editor Jess Mancini or managing editor Paul LaPann about someone being arrested or cited and not living at the address listed in the newspaper. We tell the caller we will have a reporter check the address to make sure he/she didn't record it incorrectly and will make a correction if we erred.

But, if the address listed in the newspaper is the one listed on the public document, there is nothing we can do to change it. It would have to be changed on the public document before we could follow up on it.

It all comes down to authorities making sure the addresses they use on their public documents are correct, which is easier said than done when dealing with criminals. Those who give false information to authorities should be so charged, but that also rarely happens.

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WVCommissioner

08-02-08 5:54 PM »Report Abuse

The police report is just that, a report. You once said it is easy to put something into the paper, don't ask to have something kept out. I respect that stance and hope that each editor after you follow your lead. One item I think would be helpful, a map with pins that show you where the crimes are committed. I saw this in a paper in Charleston SC. It was the whole back page of the front section. Very informative. I don't recall if it was a weekly summary or a monthly of the crime in Charleston. It was circles, triangles and boxes. Violent crimes, theft, destruction of property, ect. Just a thought.

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