Second Thoughts
Tony Dodero
So far, the reaction to this column has been mixed.
I upset one person who believes, wrongly I might add, that I wrote about
her situation as an act of revenge.
Others have thanked me for taking a second look at things and still
others believe it has become, in effect, a front page retraction every
week and further proof that we practice spineless journalism.
So bear with me please as I clarify the philosophy behind Second
Thoughts.
It doesn’t exist so much for the purpose of retracting our statements as
it does to better explain the reason why we make the decisions we do. And
rather than declaring we were wrong or right, I’d rather just give the
readers more facts to make that decision themselves.
It’s a vehicle to review recent newsworthy events, errors in reporting
and editing, and to let readers air their concerns.
It’s also a chance to take an even deeper look into the controversies
that we either have written about or stirred up.
And it’s even going to be a forum for asking why controversies haven’t
arisen, which brings me to the topic of this week’s column.
On Aug. 28, Daily Pilot education reporter Jessica Garrison turned the
spotlight on a brewing epidemic at Corona del Mar High School.
Garrison’s investigative work, “Starving for Perfection,” revealed that
young girls, so eager to be thin, have resorted to using Ritalin, a drug
normally used for hyperactive children, to stem their appetites and lose
weight.
The story was powerful, well-written and researched, and it shed light on
an issue that needed attention.
But, strangely, that attention doesn’t appear to be forthcoming.
Aside from a few comments, the Newport-Mesa board of trustees and the
Corona del Mar High School community have barely acknowledged the
problem.
Instead, board President Serene Stokes said Garrison’s profile of the
girls “gave too much attention to the wrong group at the school.”
A curious response from an official elected to, well, pay attention to
all the district’s schoolchildren, not just those who play by the rules.
One has to wonder if the district and board members and the community are
just going to wait until the issue slips away.
That way there’s nothing to pay attention to anymore.But, I’m happy to
report, at least one parent was paying attention.
A caller to our Readers Hotline this week thanked us again for the
report. The caller said Garrison’s work prompted her to take her children
out of Corona del Mar High.
And she was dismayed at what she perceived as silence by the Newport-Mesa
board.
So, does the board have a message to young girls trapped in a world of
eating disorders and drug use?
We’re still waiting to hear.
***
Here’s a message for Newport Beach city and cable officials.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the reporting we had done on the
idea, currently being pondered by the Newport Beach library board, of
building an arts center on land adjacent to the city’s Central Library.
One caller, in response to that call, said Newport Beach residents would
be better served by having library board meetings televised, as City
Council meetings are.
That way, residents can see what the board is up to, she said.
I’m not so sure that would make for great television, but you never know.
* TONY DODERO is the editor of the Daily Pilot. Comments or suggestions
for Second Thoughts can be Mailed: 330 W. Bay St. Costa Mesa, CA 92627.
E-mailed: tdnews1@aol.com or dailypilot@latimes.com. Faxed: 949-646-4170.
Phone: 949-574-4258.
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