I’m somewhat concerned about some things at the Norwich Bulletin, the newspaper in Norwich, Conn., the site of the Julie Amero case. For some reason, the Bulletin is removing a good deal of its content related to the case. Some of it is going to the (pay) archives and some is disappearing.
This is a Bad Thing because it’s an ongoing case and an ongoing discussion, and the Bulletin is the paper of record in the case. Journalistically, I would say it has an obligation to keep that material up for a while more.
The Bulletin is an odd duck of sorts. Aside from the prosecutor’s office and the police, it’s the only organization to actually come out against Amero. In one editorial it even had a subhed “Intent was apparent,” which has been shown repeatedly at this point to be untrue; it also said “her deeds were disgusting and merit punishment.”
The Bulletin, it seems, is good at either jumping to conclusions, accepting official word at face value, and/or failing to look into things. None of which are good qualities for a newspaper.
For example, on February 6, the paper’s education reporter, Dan Axelrod, wrote the following on his blog:
Enough. Enough e-mails, phone calls and letters to the editor defending Julie Amero. I’m sick of them. The worst part of all is that people jump to these conclusions without viewing any of the evidence or police documents. Here are the facts: Amero showed graphic pornography to up to 10 children in a Kelly Middle School class, according to a police investigation.
Actually, the fact is not that Amero “showed graphic pornography” to anyone. The fact is that a computer in the classroom she was substituting in was infected with malware that caused porn pop-ups.
Blaming the school, the police or anyone else for what Amero did is like blaming a rape victim for being raped. It’s sick, it’s wrong, it’s ignorant and it’s moronic.
Me, I wouldn’t equate the school to a rape victim. Forgetting how that kind of comment minimizes what happens to real rape victims, it ignores that fact — in evidence at the time Axelrod wrote that — that the school failed to install and maintain the software necessary to prevent just the kind of thing Amero experienced.
According to a Norwich police affidavit, “the pornographic sites were almost continuously viewed from approximately 9:24 a.m. to approximately 11:11 a.m.” No one accidentally clicks on pornographic pop-ups advertisements for nearly two hours continuously.
This is a case of Axelrod not bothering — as a good reporter would — to verify with an independent expert whether pop-ups can appear continuously without user intervention. As we all know, and I’ve shown, they can.
I don’t know what they usually do at the Bulletin. My SOP is to contact someone at a local university — a professor or, in this case, an IT person — to comment. But Axelrod preferred to take the police at their word, and it’s pretty clear that the police were wrong. That’s the danger of a reporter not bothering to get both sides. Sometimes the one side you get is wrong. (Although, to be fair, the comment was made on Axelrod’s blog and is an opinion, not a news story.)
Oddly, like some of the Amero-related material on the paper’s Web site, this blog entry has disappered. Luckily, though, there’s Google’s cache of it. (Scroll down to the Feb. 6 entry.)
Whatever happens to Julie Amero, the case is going to be regarded as an important one. No, it’s not like OJ, but people will talk about it and possibly debate it in the future. It’s unfortunate that the Norwich Bulletin is removing content related to the case. It’s content that could someday be nice to have as part of the archive.
I’ve taken to capturing every Bulletin story related to the case, just to have. You never know.
The Fray
Is the Norwich Bulletin Removing Content on Julie Amero? » odd time signatures says:
[...] Kantor notes that the Norwich Bulletin appears to be removing content related to Julie Amero. I’ve been able to get to every I’ve used to their content on [...]
cb says:
Looks like the Bulletin’s education reporter removed his blog entry on Julie Amero too.
Nick4nCt says:
As horrid as the Julie Amero case is, it should suprise no one.
This is the way things are
handled in Connecticut.
MILFORD — In a move largely considered anti-climatic, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney L. Mark Hurley resigned Thursday amid allegations that he stole money intended for crime victims as well as thousands of dollars from his own union.
Last week, Hurley admitted through his lawyer to stealing between $18,000 and $21,000 from the state prosecutor’s union, the Connecticut Association of Prosecutors. Hurley had been the longtime treasurer of the union.
The move, coming before the completion of an internal investigation that could have resulted in Hurley losing his job, is expected to save his state pension.
Hurley, 47, is eligible to begin collecting a pension at 55.
….Hurley intends to make full restitution to the union.
Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane(the boss of Ms Amero’s prosecutor) said that as a result of Hurley’s resignation, the internal investigation is closed.
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_5448269
In Connecticut you can steal 20,000 and pay it back and not only is all forgiven but you get to keep your pension.
But if you fail to pull the plug on a computer or throw a coat over it you face 40 yrs and being labeled a “sex offender”
Isn’t Connecticut “Grand”?
Emily says:
I’m concerned that no one in the “justice” system in Connecticut has stepped up to the plate in Julie’s defense. If she has to go to appeal, it’s just that much more stress and fear she has to endure.
The real culprits in all of this are the school’s administrators and I’m sure they expected to railroad Amero into taking the heat for them. Let’s keep the pressure on until they get their day in court. Both civil and criminal!
pwils says:
You are right, you now have to pay for the articles, letters to editor, etc for Julie Amero. And you are right, they have done nothing but persecute the woman in their newspaper. The articles have been very one sided and on their part stupid in content. Not verifying the facts or getting expert consultation regarding the case.
I am a resident in the area and actually subscribe to this thing they call a newspaper. Very much rethinking my subscription at this point.
In fact, the Julie Amero case has gotten very quiet in our area. I am hoping this is a sign that a few of the idiots who brought this case together are getting scared and just maybe the newspaper is being hushed up for some reason too, not sure….. it is very strange.
No one seems to want to touch the subject at the moment..very interesting to say the least…..
pwils says:
Oh, by the way the Norwich Bulletin is a Gannett owned paper.
pwils says:
Read the editorial in todays Norwich Bulletin. It only gets worse…………
nemoforone says:
What about the possibility of pulling out of Iraq, letting Iran invade and lose resources fighting their own kind,
and then come in and mop up the dregs?
pwils says:
nemoforone,
Uhhhhhhhhh, what does this have to do with Julie Amero case?
Fuck the Norwich Bulletin at The Mad Finn says:
[...] Why Norwich Bulletin’s Sunday editorial is so wrong Articles about Julie Amero on Norwich Bulletin keep dissappearing [...]
against judicial corruption says:
yeah this Mark hurley thing is Bad — -google his name from milford and read these blogs — from the Hartford Courant – and you tell me about corruption in the Ansonia Milford judicial district and how things are covered up in our courts — Im still puking
dictionary websters says:
I haven’t been up to anything recently. My life’s been really boring lately.
Whatever. Today was a complete loss. Basically nothing seems important.
against judicial corruption says:
I have some interesting information on the way things are handled in the Ansonia/Milford judicial district — and the states attoneys office has swept it under the carpet– influencing of civil and criminal cases for personal gain — someone needs to check this out
against judicial corruption says:
it is loaded with corruption — investigators have punished me and my family for exposing it — I was the one who ratted Mark Hurleys ass to the Chiefs States Attorneys office — This was after he called me and threatened to put my son in prison if I didnt keep my mouth shut — the investigators told me Hurley has too much too lose — this all involved a few judges and court clerks — all the evdence was so clear but I was told I would embarass the state — and thats the way the court system works — they refuse to talk to other witnesses — but told everyone that I tuned in Mark Hurley — and Paul Gaetano — My son got three years in prison — the day Hurley was walked out of the court — I was arrested for — BRIBE RECIEVING BY A WITNESS_ for asking for my belongings that were ordered to be given back to me by a Judge — my sentence 60 days probation for a class C felony — the same court people heard my case and my sons case __ — talk to me !!
against judicial corruption says:
I couldnt even find an atty who wanted to handle this – nor did a judge want to hear this — I t was a sham — the states first offer to me was I have no cantact with a victoria longo who has conspired with Mark Hurley to sway traffic tickets and arrest warrants and share the money — and she had nothing to do with my crime — it was a restraining order — for what ? there is no Physical violence — these people should be in jail for waht they did — and this Victoria Longo is a court clerk in Milford — I have all this info in black and white but no one wants to hear this — she also dates a convited DRUG DEALER who continues his trade — what a slap in the face to the courts
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Alexanderson says:
Hya everybody!
Been a long time lurker, seems like a great forum ’bout time I start contributing :)
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Leland says:
Everything you said was dead on accurate. They took the most basic concepts of Journalism and stomped them into dust.
That said, there is one glaring possible reason why The Norwich Bulletin is pulling content down.
It is obvious there are excellent grounds for an appeal court to overturn the conviction and order a new trial. If the state is stupid enough to try her again, I predict a slam dunk victory for the defense. (Especially with competent council and a well spanked judge.)
If I were Julie Amero, I’d have a civil attorney warming up in the bullpen. There is still the matter of the damage to her good name, her loss of a career, financial costs and changes in her mental state as a direct result of this clearly malicious prosecution of an innocent woman. (I still want to be a lawyer if I ever grow up…)
The legal counsel for the Norwich Bulletin has to be thinking the same thing. Anyone want to bet whether or not the managing editor was told to get into damage control mode?