Today’s Daily Progress editorial reviews the recent matter of the wrongful rape charge brought against Christopher Matthew, and closes with a muted swipe at some of Charlottesville’s junior media outlets:
Finally, it must be noted that some area media overplayed the arrest. (This newspaper endeavored not to do so.)
A serial rapist remains at large, and everyone wants to be told that he has been found and that our homes are safe again. But too quickly associating this arrest with that investigation imposed additional trauma on the innocent suspect.
For good reason, our justice system is founded on the principle of “innocent until proved guilty.” We’ve just seen an example of why.
With the Sheckler lawsuit against WVIR decided just two years ago, some local media outlets may not have learned the proper lessons that accompany jumping to conclusions.
The Progress lost their Charlottesville-Albemarle police beat reporter about a month ago. His name was Reed Williams: a journalist who kept local police agencies on their toes. There’s rumor that the Progress reporter covering the Matthew release showed up late and missed the chance to interview him leaving jail. That’s a big oops for the lead print publication in Central Virginia.
It’s obvious the Progress is trying to capitalize on a true mistake made by police… It seems they’re doing their best to convince readers that they’ve turned a new stone. However, if they could get their staff back up to capacity, they would be covering these stories like all the other media outlets in Charlottesville.
what else do we have left? The Cville and Hook? Eh, they just love bashing each other. WVIR is boring. ANd the supermega newsplex is still too young.
HOORAY FOR CVILLENEWS!