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Lion's Den!
in the
Spanier Overreacts
Press Coverage
Casey Decision
At the Oct. 31 press conference there is anger to be vented, I'd direct it
announcing the N.J. grand jury decision there." Davenport aptly concludes that
not to prosecute Rashard Casey, PSU "we all ought to worry that for other young
President Graham Spanier blasted the black men, less known and with less sup
press for reporting Casey's indictment a port, similar circumstances probably turn
week earlier. He called it "one of the great out less satisfactorily."
blunders in Pennsylvania journalism." I admit I felt torn over Joe Paterno's
Spanier demanded apologies from the risky decision to keep Casey as starting
press for their erroneous quarterback. Whether
reports. The reporters Paterno was right or
• .
The Patriot News sup- wrong in his decision, I
ported its reporters and and editors had admire his conviction in
stories, contending they keeping the promise
quoted public officials, no reason to he'd made to Casey.
including a Hudson question their Paterno's resolve dis-
County, N. J. assistant plays much about his
prosecutor closely con- •
source l s Integrity ap ch i ar th he acte placed
as l cd h is w e ell
i nas the
nected with the case. The
- f aith
reporters and editors had
no reason to question their
source's integrity or input. In addition to
The Patriot, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
the Philadelphia Daily News, the Centre
Daily News, and USA Today quoted the
same source.
Accuracy is essential to responsible
journalists who strive for and value their
credibility, objectivity, and impartiality. It
is obvious that in the Casey legal case,
facts changed from one week to the next.
According to a Nov. 1 Patriot News arti
cle, a second grand jury vote, one week
after the first, reversed the jury's original
decision (for reasons that were undis
closed,) absolving Casey of all charges in
the criminal case. Casey still faces civil
charges from the May 1999 incident.
While the story changed, the journal
ists covering the story reported the facts
given them from the best possible source
they had. They should not be condemned
for doing their jobs or be expected to soft
pedal the news because it is unpleasant.
I hope President Spanier takes to heart
the insights offered in a Nov. 5 editorial by
Patriot News editor Dale Davenport. He
writes that racial profiling by N.J. police
swept Rashard Casey into a legal mael
strom. Davenports adds that "[N.J. offi
cials] had to know from day one there was
insufficient evidence [to charge Casey]. If
. . . when you have eliminated the
impossible, whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth."
By Barbara Gertzen
Capital Times Assistant News Editor
or input
quarterback's character.
I agree, however, with
several articles I read that suggested that
PSU, like other leading football schools
such as Florida State and Nebraska, should
develop university-wide, published policy
governing the status of athletes who com
mit infractions of the rules or law.
Certainly Joe Paterno would've encoun
tered less stress, and taken a lot less flak,
if the decision regarding Casey's status
had been taken out of his hands. In addi
tion, Casey might have given a bit more
thought to his own actions in Hoboken last
May if he'd known the outcome would
impact his status as a starter.
Of course, it is impossible to know
whether Casey's legal difficulties affected
PSU's football season. Undoubtedly, the
Lions abysmal season resulted from
numerous factors. The rhythm of life is
cyclical, and so it should be with football.
As the song goes: "To everything, there is
a season," and apparently, this season did
not belong to Penn State.
So relax, President Spanier, PSU will
rebound from this incident, and there will
probably be little drop-off in enrollment
due to the Casey debacle (except, perhaps,
in the recruitment of athletes). I've been
told that PSU is about much more than just
athletics; it's also about quality education.
So let's get back to focusing on education.
OPINION
-Sherlock Holmes