A couple of days ago the Boston Globe published an article “Carroll Center lauds work of its forced-out leader.” The article clearly states that the Carroll Center board made “no finding of harassment.”
In brief, Mike Festa resigned from his position as President of the Carroll Center for the Blind last March. The Globe published a front page story that has been described as a “horribly distorted story of a good man.” Two months later the Carroll Center reached a financial settlement with Mike. The Globe article states, “I engaged counsel and we negotiated a settlement for my claim of defamation in terms that I’m satisfied with and are fair and reasonable,’’ Festa said.
More than three months after the original article, and more than a month after the Carroll Center official statement, the Globe published their article. The first misleading article that was published was front page, above the fold. The second article was Metro section front page, below the fold.
Unfortunately what we saw here I think is typical of what we see happening all too often in the press. There is a rush to publish bad news, but they are slow to publish any updates or clarification. I know that newspapers need revenue to stay in business, and to stay in business they needs to sell newspapers, ads or subscriptions. But newspapers have a responsibility to publish accurate information.
I don’t doubt that more people saw the original article than saw the update that went out three months later.
It has made me think about the responsibility of those of us who post on the internet and provide information on blogs and in e-mails. The lines are increasingly blurred between what we do as volunteers and what MSM does.
Disclosure, I am both a friend and supporter of Mike Festa.
And not only am I pleased his name is cleared, but it is a reminder that there is a duty – whether as a main stream media person, or a citizen journalist, to fact check.
Somebody level false accusations against him?
The original Globe article specifically states that no complaint had been made. I am reluctant to rehash what happened. One of the problems in a situation like this is that to clarify or restract a story often involves repeating statements, further adding to the damage. When the Carroll Center issued their announcment, they characterized statements in the original Globe article as ‘inaccurate and misleading.’ A former colleague of Mike’s referred to the first Globe article as shabby reporting.