This week’s letters to the editor.June Johns
About Gulfport Neighbor Feud Comes to Council Meeting
I’m interested to know if it is the policy of this paper to go to press with an article before reaching out to the principal subjects of the piece and providing them with an opportunity to comment or rebut the story? That seems like the baseline for ethical journalism. Additionally, you should know that under our Constitution, individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Your article presents Mr. Donelini’s allegations as statements of fact, instead of contested circumstances the particulars of what occurred being a matter currently disputed before the courts. The keyword here is “allegedly,” and it does not appear once in this piece. If a potential juror were to read this article it would be considered a biased poison pill. I am curious if you just repeated verbatim the police’s version of the events, because that’s not journalism, it’s stenography.
For the record, I categorically deny ever initiating any aggression against Mr. Donelini. There is a whole lot more to this story, and if you are willing to take the time to speak with me, I would be happy to fill you in. Truthfully, I think you buried the lede here. Here’s a question for your intrepid reporter: Did the City of Gulfport actually utilize municipal resources and manpower to hide the fact that a notorious code violator has consistently failed to comply with the basic requirements around his property? That seems like a more substantial story in my humble opinion. –Jonathan Robert, Gulfport
Editor’s Note: Monroe Roark’s article covered what transpired during public comment at a city council meeting, nothing more. He verified the legal proceedings filed as a matter of course. Additionally, the word “alleged” appears in the first sentence of the article and several times thereafter.
The Gabber welcomes and encourages letters and commentary. One letter per person, per month. All letters must be signed with your real name and city, and should be as brief as possible (ideally <250 words). We may edit letters for content, clarity and length. We will not print letters that incite violence, include personal attacks on private citizens, or that are intentionally misleading or inaccurate. Letters sent to the Gabber for print will also appear online and on the Gabber’s social media pages. Commentary posted to the Gabber’s website and social media pages may also be used in print. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Gabber owners, advertisers, or staff. Send letters to news@thegabber.com or mail them to 2908-B Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL, 33707.
