The Billings Gazette is in the news, sort of, for Editor Darrell Ehrlick’s decision not to post court documents in the case of state Sen. Jason Priest, R-Red Lodge, who was charged with felony assault involving his child, his estranged wife and his wife’s boyfriend.
Ehrlick explained his reasoning in a column that ran in the Gazette on Feb. 23. A story about his decision was posted today on Romenesko, possibly the most widely read media blog in the country.
Romenesko quotes the most troubling part of Ehrlick’s column, where he justifies his decision on the grounds that “the court documents could paint Priest in a harsh light. And, just as much as I am a fervent supporter of the First Amendment, I am also a big believer in the due process that says it’s up to the courts to decide Priest’s innocence or guilt.”
I say troubling because the Gazette routinely posts charging documents stuffed to the gills with horrific allegations, stomach-churning descriptions of violence and appalling tales of depravity. But then a state senator is charged with several felonies and the Gazette is suddenly too dainty to burden its readers with allegations that could paint the alleged perp in a “harsh light”? In a word, bullshit.
But that’s not the worst of it. Romenesko said he “asked Ehrlick in an email, then in a brief phone conversation, if the decision to pull the documents was the publisher’s. He wouldn’t answer that, or any other question I had about the matter. I’ve left a message for publisher Mike Gulledge, who is also vice president of sales and marketing for all Lee Enterprises newspapers.”
Ask any reporter: We don’t care if politicians or public figures call us terrible names, damn our families unto the fifth generation, lie, squirm or obfuscate, but, damn, we hate it when they stiff us with a “no comment.” I didn’t work with Erhlick long, but he struck me as a no-nonsense, rather flinty fellow who didn’t mind mixing it up.
At a bare minimum, newspaper editors and publishers ought to be able to take a little bit of what they dish out on a daily basis. Mike, Darrell — do the right thing. Talk to Romenesko.
