Before I leave for a week off, the challenge is trying to write a column that is worthwhile for our readers but at the same time needs to be composed more than a week before it is published.
Perhaps it’s time for another “inside baseball” column denoting some of the challenges that face journalists in the 21st Century.

The case in Chicopee of the school superintendent being arrested by the FBI is certainly an example of the effects of social media. There are details to that story that are by now common knowledge, though many have not yet been confirmed.

These days many people who disseminate stories – no, I’m not calling them journalists – feel that using the word “alleged” before a salacious detail covers them from legal action from the party involved.

It does not.

Also, if details of a story are attributed to “unknown sources” or “a source close to the investigation,” the reader is supposed to come away with the idea that these statements are corroborated and true.

Maybe and maybe not.

People used unknown sources based on faith, the faith that what is being said is true. I’m afraid I can’t. If this newspaper publishes a story, all of us need to know what we are presenting is indeed true.
Errors can be made, and all of us freely will admit and apologize for factual errors, however the odds of that occurring are increased if the people making statements are not willing to be publicly responsible.

Even though some of supposed aspects of the Lynn Clark story are “known,” I don’t know if they are true. Since everyone accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty, I see our responsibility is to print what is actually fact, which means people won’t have all of the details until the case goes to court.

I love a good rumor, but we can’t print them.

By the way, the following is what the Department of Justice sent to the press: “According to the complaint, in December 2021, the city of Chicopee was in the process of hiring a new chief of police. On Dec. 3, 2021, law enforcement received a report that a candidate for the position was receiving threats intended to force the victim to withdraw their application for Chicopee Chief of Police. Specifically, in November 2021, after submitting their application for chief of police, the victim received numerous text messages from unknown numbers containing threats to expose information that would cause the victim reputational harm. As a result, the victim withdrew their application, and the city delayed the selection process.

“It is alleged that a total of approximately 99 threatening messages were sent from fictitious phone numbers purchased through a mobile app. Phone and internet records revealed that these numbers were allegedly purchased by Clark and that the purchased numbers sent each of the threatening messages.

“Clark allegedly denied sending the messages on numerous occasions to investigators and cast suspicion onto other individuals. Specifically, over the course of the investigation, Clark allegedly suggested that the messages could have been sent by other city employees, the victim’s colleagues and a member of Clark’s own family. Clark later admitted that she indeed sent the messages.”

None of those details you’ve been talking about are here, are they?

Here is another example. “Everyone” in Springfield knew of the story about the Mardi Gras block being sold to a local person who was supposedly going to rehab the building into housing. I couldn’t get anyone who knew anything to say anything on record.

Granted, in cases of a real estate transaction, the conventional wisdom is that people shouldn’t speak about it until the deal is done. I get that.

What I was hearing, though, is the deal was about to be closed earlier this year. I thought someone might confirm or deny the rumors I heard. Boy how I tried, but no one would talk.
The reason the story was important is that in this environment where the Pioneer Valley is desperate for more housing, turning a city block into housing is very big economic development news.

And one other case: I’m dealing now with another story involving a Springfield official that again, no one wishes to speak about publicly. The facts that I can obtain are not enough to confirm the rumored allegations.

The story may not even be a story if someone would talk to me to confirm or deny the details involved.

The situation is made worse by a person who deputized himself (I’ll get a stream of angry emails from describing this person in such a way) as a truth-teller and who is angry at me that I haven’t published a story to his liking.

With some stories you can’t win.

Maybe in the multiverse there is an Earth where anything can be said about anyone and that’s just fine. In this world, though, stories have repercussions.