Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jan 2005
Source: Daily Star, The (NY)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.thedailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/557

YOU SAID IT!

Editor's note: The following 'You Said It!' items refer to the stories
"Sidney star is ticketed for pot (Jan. 18)" and "Eric Dorsey cleared;
brother charged (Jan. 19)."

Eric Dorsey was cleared of any wrongdoing by state troopers the day
the first article appeared in The Daily Star. In a written statement
Jan. 18, Terrell Dorsey admitted to state troopers that he
impersonated his younger brother during a Jan. 16 traffic stop.

The Daily Star's follow-up article Jan. 19 reported that police
corrected their initial reports and Eric Dorsey was not the person
ticketed. Terrell Dorsey has been charged with criminal impersonation.

STAR DESERVES JEER FOR DORSEY ARTICLE

Once again, The Daily Star should get a jeer, this time for its Jan.
18 story (Sidney star is ticketed for pot).

Teenagers make mistakes every day, but the Star decided to scrutinize
Sidney boys basketball player Eric Dorsey because he is a star
athlete. The story said Dorsey was given an appearance ticket for
possession of marijuana.

Sports Editor Dean Russin had no right to publish this story. The kid
is embarrassed enough, as are his parents and school, but you made it
a headline story in your so-called newspaper.

Additionally, this isn't the first time that Mr. Russin felt obligated
to rip into a high school athlete.

It's time for your editorial staff to take a harder look at what hits
the newsstands.

Barry Pudney

Walton

STAR SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO DORSEYS, READERS

Like many readers, I look to your paper for information on important
issues that affect our area. That said, I was horribly disappointed to
see the paper's protracted coverage of a story that should not have
been a story.

First, the paper egregiously erred in falsely reporting that Eric
Dorsey -- a fine young man -- was involved in illegal activities. I
can see no other reason for this than the sheer need to
sensationalize.

Second, even if it was true, why the need for such coverage?

Our counties are filled with horrific problems that you never report
with any depth: poverty, joblessness, a lack of funding to local
agencies, an increase in hard-drug usage, environmental hazards -- the
list goes on.

Yet you choose to report -- on the front sports page no less -- an
alleged smell of marijuana inside a vehicle. Is this real news?

It seems more like junk-news, inserted not to inform your readers
about what they need to know, but to titillate, sell papers, hurt and
slander. It did not even concern you that this young man is a minor.
Your story the next day was no improvement.

Why open this family to such pain when there is so much that you truly
need to investigate? I question if the Star is committed to its
community or to its bottom line.

It is for you to decide: Are you a newspaper or a tabloid? In the
meantime, the Dorsey family deserves an apology, as perhaps does your
readership.

Laura Seltz

Windsor
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin