The Saturday paper included two articles “Lancaster Twp. Man linked to 3rd sex assault” and “Convicted of indecent exposure in his home” but no mention of the LancastserOnline.com item “City man charged with open lewdness.”
WATCHDOG: Unlike the tawdry report about a man masturbating in his car (a contributor questioned how the lady who reported the incident would have noticed this without peering through the car’s windows), the article about the Lancaster Township man is appropriate because it describes a potential threat to public safety, albeit no one has yet been convicted.
The Associated Press article on “indecent exposure” pertains to an incident in Fairfax, VA and focuses on an issue of the propriety of nudity within one’s home. Was this blatant exhibitionism meant to attract attention and, even if so, should it be a criminal offense? The article fairly sets forth the issue and ends with the thought provoking quote from the accused: “‘If I was looking in her window, I think we’d be having a whole different conversation.’” A wag of the tail for good journalism.
To the credit of the Intelligencer / New Era editors, the article on local “lewdness” with a photo of the accused so conspicuous on LancasterOnline.com does not appear in the print edition. The Watchdog had hoped that the editors would have removed it from their website in recognition of its inappropriateness. Unlike the printed page, the Internet allows modification and deletions in the interest of fairness and accuracy. NewsLanc frequently reaches deep into its archives to expand and, when appropriate, correct past postings.
