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.