![]() “In this case though, first of all, because it’s unsigned, I don’t think there’s anything about it that’s newsworthy at all because we don’t know who it came from. “What he might have done ethically would be to say look normally we wouldn’t publish something like this but it’s important for you to understand this is the kind of thing that some people hold apparently, and we condemn the idea behind it, but it’s important for you to see what people say,” Tompkins said about the editor’s decision-making. He adds if there’s a reason to publish, explain the reason. ![]() Tompkins, an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in local news, said that when it comes to publishing things that are reasonably offensive, or even dangerous, we shouldn’t ban them but should treat them very carefully. We have to work hard to safeguard and work with the larger Greenville community to educate, continue to advance LGBT issues in the community, and hopefully move forward from this.”Īl Tompkins is with the Poynter Institute, a non-profit media organization that specializes in ethics and studies the media. “That message was sent in from our community and that means that exists in our community. “Only after about a week and half after a club shooting for that to appear in our local paper is shocking and we need to process that,” Lucier said. And whether that’s consequences in terms of subscriptions or whether there’s a resulting incident that inspires a particular person to commit an act of violence that there’s going to be consequences,” said Petrasso.Īaron Lucier is a member of the LGBTQ community and said that the publication of the comment couldn’t have come at a worse time. “He did not fully appreciate the extent of what his publication and his choice to publish that piece could mean for the safety of community members and that there ought to be accountability. Julia Petrasso, a member of the Greenville Jewish community, e-mailed Burns to share her anger with the decision to publish the remarks. I do so in hope that they will remain on guard and fight against it,” Burns wrote in response to one complaint. “On rare occasions, I will publish one to clearly demonstrate and remind readers that people in their midst, perhaps their neighbors, coworkers or even friends, harbor such attitudes. The column was removed by the Reflector following the concerns.Į-mail correspondence shared with WITN that includes Burns shows that the editor viewed the opinion as “vile and contemptible” but felt it was a responsible action to share with readers the views that exist in the community. ![]() The backlash against the paper and Burns has been swift both on social media and through complaints emailed to the editor. WITN has chosen not to share the entire content of the post. In the November 28th online edition of the Reflector available to subscribers, the paper’s executive editor, Bobby Burns, greenlit a Bless Your Heart opinion that shootings against the LGBTQ community are a sign of rebellion against their way of thinking – and that more would be coming. ![]()
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