By RANDY HILL
On July 11, our community fell victim to one of the most egregious violations of the public trust — abuse of the power of the pen. I refer to Moonshine Ink’s alleged investigative report pertaining to Tahoe Forest Hospital and its CEO.
It was thoroughly appropriate for Moonshine Ink to report the potential violation of state law presented in the article. After all, it is the duty of our press to report. It is not, however, the duty of the press to enhance its reporting with insinuation and innuendo linking, in this case, the personal tragedy of its subject(s) to some grand scheme to defraud the public by way of adding credibility to its “story.”
A number of perspectives and “facts” were also offered, which in and of themselves were troubling, yet no counterbalancing perspectives or facts were forthcoming in the two articles published at that time. These “reports” had the tone and feel of a vendetta.
In an ideal world, it is the responsibility of the press to report the relevant facts, not to mold opinion. The press, particularly in our relatively small community, needs to hold itself to the same standard of ethics and integrity we expect of our public officials and agencies. While typically a private entity, its potential influence on public opinion and behavior is arguably incomparable.
When this storm settles, as it will like so many others of its kind, Moonshine Ink will be remembered for the quality of its journalism and integrity, or lack thereof.
For the record, this is not an effort to defend the district, its management, or its board. The board’s findings and those of state and county officials will be made available in the weeks or months to follow. That is the role of the board and authorities. It is not, however, the role of the press to investigate, and be both judge and jury. It is the role of the press to report unbiased, balanced facts.
Like so many wake-up calls, there will be some lessons learned and measures taken to assure things get back on course. That is what well-run organizations do following any crisis or setback. I expect we will see no less from Tahoe Forest Hospital. In the meantime, town, county, and state officials will be conducting their own due diligence, a process which will take time and require patience from us all.
~ Tahoe Vista resident Randy Hill is on the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District board and was a volunteer for the hospital, chair of the Measure C campaign, and on contract for one year developing a program for cancer patient caregivers now offered by the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center.
