11-28-2011, 03:31 PM
Toledo Blade
Mike Sawyer, a co-owner of Universal Metals in Toledo, is puzzled and bothered by a detail in the continuing coverage of the horrific killings of Johnny Clarke and Lisa Straub on Jan. 31.
He notes that in a recent story about the arrest of a second suspect in the case, we refer to the man, Cameo Pettaway, as "Mr. Pettaway," whereas Johnny Clarke, on second reference, is just "Clarke." He asks, "Why didn't you call him Mr. Clarke?"
Your ombudsman agrees with the reader. I think this is an unfair, outmoded, and confusing policy, and needs to be modified or changed. Johnny Clarke was in fact convicted of two charges of robbery three years before he died, and served a year and a half in prison. Denying him the "Mr." might make sense in a story about his crime, which involved robbing men at gunpoint. But in this case, he had cleaned up his act, and was a victim of a murder.
I do not think it is fair to stigmatize him without explanation, especially in stories in which he was clearly a victim.
Mike Sawyer, a co-owner of Universal Metals in Toledo, is puzzled and bothered by a detail in the continuing coverage of the horrific killings of Johnny Clarke and Lisa Straub on Jan. 31.
He notes that in a recent story about the arrest of a second suspect in the case, we refer to the man, Cameo Pettaway, as "Mr. Pettaway," whereas Johnny Clarke, on second reference, is just "Clarke." He asks, "Why didn't you call him Mr. Clarke?"
Your ombudsman agrees with the reader. I think this is an unfair, outmoded, and confusing policy, and needs to be modified or changed. Johnny Clarke was in fact convicted of two charges of robbery three years before he died, and served a year and a half in prison. Denying him the "Mr." might make sense in a story about his crime, which involved robbing men at gunpoint. But in this case, he had cleaned up his act, and was a victim of a murder.
I do not think it is fair to stigmatize him without explanation, especially in stories in which he was clearly a victim.