If the Northwest Herald does not print news of a serious wreck in McHenry County, what else does it not print?
On Sunday morning I emailed a "tip" to the Northwest Herald tip email address (tips@nwherald.com). I don't know if they just have bad manners or don't read the email to that address or just don't read whatever I send them. I've called with tips and have sometimes gotten a lukewarm reception. Not always, but usually. Or maybe they just haven't had time to read an email sent at 7:44AM on a Sunday.
So on Monday I forwarded that email to an editor, along with the name of a man seriously injured in that accident. The editor didn't acknowledge my message or reply, either.
The crash was in the jurisdiction of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. Did a deputy investigate Friday's crash? Or did the Illinois State Police (and not MCSD) investigate?
What would be the reason that the Northwest Herald would not print at least a short story about a serious wreck?
One reason is that they don't know about it. OK, you can rule that one out now.
Another is that they know about it but can't pry the information about of the law-enforcement agency; in this case, the newspaper should at least report it and inform readers that additional information will follow.
Another reason is that somebody is covering something up, for some reason. Will a report be embarrassing to someone? Was a "big name" involved? Alcohol? A big name and alcohol? At 11:30AM? Or was an on-duty (or off-duty) cop involved?
Remember the Crystal Lake wreck several years ago, when an off-duty deputy drove drunk and crashed his take-home squad car into a tree early on a Sunday morning, and the Northwest Herald didn't print a story until Friday? In that case, the Crystal Lake PD and the MCSD apparently withheld information from the media.
Ah, another possible reason for the delay. Maybe the Northwest Herald has to ante up $5.00 for a crash report and wait five days for MCSD to fulfill its FOIA Request. Why would I think this is likely not the case? MCSD and the Northwest Herald are pretty "tight". I'll be it gets information without paying for it.
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
1 comment:
The MCSD PIO called me back but had no information for me, other than MCSD did handle the crash last Friday.
When I asked if there would be a media release, she said that she had not been directed to create one.
The PIO follows orders. That's what she should do. She does what she is told to do, and she doesn't do anything that she is not told to do (or is told not to do).
There obviously is a major problem at MCSD above her pay grade.
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