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Do you think the headline for the story about a jailer’s dismissal, “Scandal uncovered at county jail,” was misleading? (Poll Closed)

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Total Votes: 256
28 Comments

  • Steve - 10 years ago

    The Sheriff is a good man and does a great job but it shouldn't of took a freedom of information act to alert the citizens to the problems at the jail. We as tax payers have the right to know if there issues that could cost or affect the county citizens. Thank you Baxter Bulletin for doing your job!

  • Danna Hunt - 10 years ago

    This headline insinuates that there was some sort of systemic corruption ongoing at the jail.
    Since there was and is no systemic corruption at the jail the headline is simply good old-fashioned yellow journalism.
    During my terms as a city Alderman I personally experienced the proclivity of Bulletin Staff Writer Josh Dooley to inflate, distort and generally sensationalize almost everything he writes.
    I had thought that Mr. Dooley was the only person on Bulletin staff to engage in such shenanigans.
    Now it is apparent that he is abetted by Bulletin Managing Editor Bob Hurst.
    The Baxter Bulletins' descent into tabloid obscurity has begun.

  • Larry - 10 years ago

    This is the kind of drivel/sensationalism that you get when you have a editor who knows nothing about and cares less about the community he makes his ling in!

    Just my opinion, I could be wrong!

  • Dan - 10 years ago

    The BB has a way of printing things that are detrimental to the county's citizen, as if it basks in the failures of those with some success. A small town (county) newspaper, in my opinion, should support its citizens instead of work to take them down like a tabloid.

  • william jordan - 10 years ago

    Hanky Panky in the Pokey

    There, I fixed it.

  • BILL POSEY - 10 years ago

    YES THIS HEADLINE WAS MISSLEADING & INACCURATE - IF I WERE TO BE BUYING A NEWSPAPER FOR THIS KIND OF HEADLINE I WOULD PURCHASE ONE FROM CHICAGO, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, OR SOME OTHER BIG TOWN.

    THE BULLITEN HAS A HARD ENOUGH TIME WITH ACCURACY IN THERE ARTICLES, WITHOUT HAVING TO FABRICATE SOMETHING TO GET OUR INTEREST.

  • Nan - 10 years ago

    touches 3 jailers???? wow, who is paying to smirch Montgomery??

  • Dick Spindler - 10 years ago

    IMHO the Baxter County Sheriff's office and jail seem to be one of the most well run departments in the county!! In view of the fact that jail is being run with an insufficient budget, I believe that the majority of the personnel are doing a GREAT job and should be commended. I think the story was a cheap shot. If you want to sell more papers, how about an update on the deal that the murderer of Dr. Milstien made with the Mountain Home police many years ago that we never heard about again. In closing. I would like to say that I think that a public apology should be given to Sheriff Montgomery!!!!

  • Jay Nottingham - 10 years ago

    It looks like the BB has an axe to grind with Sheriff John Montgomery. Ironic isn't it, since this is an election year.
    Personally, I think John has done an outstanding job, considering the funds given him to work with. Looks to me, the BB is stooping pretty low, to continue writing such garbage. You have lowered your standards to those who write for Fox News, and others.

  • waldo iswhere - 10 years ago

    Regardless of who you are, or where you are, dealing with the bottom of society, with nothing better to do then watch you look for a weakness to exploit. Additional training and staffing would help but not cure human weakness.

  • C.E.Millard - 10 years ago

    I find when a newspaper writes a headline to grab attention they are bordering as a scandal/rag sheet. I think Sheriff Montgomery has run his department above board and honestly. The headline was to try and sway the public against Sheriff John and for that the bulletin should be very ashamed of itself. You start writing a rag sheet don't be surprised if you sales follow it.

  • Judy Smith - 10 years ago

    I read that story twice in an attempt to identify the "scandal." No luck, since there wasn't one. Just a run of the mill story about employees breaking the rules that go along with their employment and the discipline that should -- and did -- follow. The story should have been run on about page 5. I agree with the Sheriff that your headline was just intended to sell newspapers. The article was fine but the headline was not justified by its content.

  • Jo - 10 years ago

    Definition of scandal: wrongdoing, impropriety, misconduct, immoral behavior, unethical behavior, discreditable behavior, outrageous behavior
    Definition of uncover: to make known : bring to light : disclose, reveal

  • A.J Ellington - 10 years ago

    I think the "sub-headline" would have been more appropriate as the headline:
    "Jailer Fired for Inappropriate Relationship With Prisoner",
    and
    "Other Incidents confirmed"
    as the next line

    That makes the headline the basic story and yet draws the reader into the story with "Other Incidents Confirmed.:

    My reasoning is that it wasnt truly a scandal - that word WAS used by you simply to sell newspapers - shades of the magazine tabloids. Yes, we are a small town, but we are NOT so stupid as to need to be drawn in by sensational headlines to read articles. I am as interested in your headline in today's paper headlined "School board OKs street easement" as "Big News in a Small Town", which by the way, is also sensationalizing what your story is about - and seems to somehow be demeaning to small towns. Many of us come from large cities, some of us are 'homegrown' but I doubt many of us thought that the fact that a 40+ year-old woman allowed a 21 year-old male inmate to sleep on her sofa, passed him notes, gave him a few bucks in his commissary account would be scandalous - inappropriate? absolutely! - a fire-able misconduct - absolutely? a scandal?absolutely not!! Even if it were inappropriate (I wasn't there, so don't know, don't really care), it is STILL not scadalous - it happened, the sheriff dealt with it under department rules, it was a personnel issue.

    Sorry, but i disaree that "This is big news in a small town." Tawdry news, for sure. But, Mr. Heist, BIG NEWS in THIS "small" town is news about MHHS's BOMB Squad winning international competition in robotics. BIG NEWS is Norfork High School earning state academic award! Jailers behaving badly - and being punished for doing so - sounds more like a bad movie than a scandal for our "small" town.

  • gene king - 10 years ago

    I am retired from the Arizona Dept. of Corrections ,and have seen this happen many times over the years . No matter how many lectures and classes you give on inmate fraternization, things like this are always going to happen. Things like this happen in both men's and women's prisons. and no one can predict which man or woman officer this is going to occur with. If Mr. Heist or his staff think they have the answer to this problem , then they need to travel the country to show all jail commanders and prison wardens how to get it done. Until then, they need to get off of their political witch hunt and keep their opinions to them selves. .

  • Dianne Beaman - 10 years ago

    I am a staunch supporter of Sheriff Montgomery and feel he does an excellent job and runs a tight ship. After reading the article, I find nothing to sway my opinion of the sheriff and the job he is doing. It is impossible to eliminate incidents like the ones that were reported because human nature is involved. The headline did grab the readers attention however the article failed to deliver. I don't think the issues covered were headline worthy and the entire article was typical of small town news. Slow day in the newsroom?

  • Rick - 10 years ago

    I read the headline and the article, I didn't get the impression from either that Sherriff Montgomery or his staff had attempted a cover up. My only question after reading the article was why should it have taken a FOIA to get the story? A simple news release stating that we have discovered a problem and taken steps to correct it would no doubt have the Sherriff less frustrated than he apparently is now and this would have ended right then.

    Did the Baxter Bulletin cross the line? Absolutely not! NO! Was there a scandal at the County jail? Yes there was. Did the Baxter Bulletin uncover this scandal through a FOIA. Yes they did. The Baxter Bulletin then published the story exactly as any worthy news source should. How about that, journalism at a news paper, who would of thought it.

  • Dennis Feece - 10 years ago

    I had a problem with the handling of that article from the first time I read it. I see it as nothing more than pure politics. The Baxter Bulletin editorial page is almost always slanted to the left. That's reflected in their articles & in their editorial page cartoon. That's actually not surprising seeing as Gannett News is part & parcel of the left wing news media. I had actually cancelled my subscription once because of that, but I sadly missed the local news, coupons & Garfield cartoon. The fact that John Montgomery is a very successful sheriff & oh yes, a Republican, is I'm sure a factor influencing your decision to pursue this story with such glee and gusto. I'd sure miss Garfield.

  • Phyllis Story - 10 years ago

    Selling newspapers. . . . . That's what the sensational headlines are all about. Sad to say incidents such as the one at the jail occur in our society in all occupations and all walks of life. Now how about a positive article concerning our wonderful sheriff and his department. They have done, and are doing, a great job for Baxter County.

  • Jim Smith - 10 years ago

    The first word in the headline on the on line edition is "Editorial." That means it is an opinion and not "NEWS." You have to pay attention to the words and know what they mean. Opinions are like belly buttons and various other body parts . . . we all have one.

  • Larry Nelson - 10 years ago

    The issues "uncovered" had been identified and dealt with by the responsible authorities. No question, there were inappropriate activities. But your headline suggests that the reporter was the first to discover the issues, and that an attempt had been made to keep the public from finding out. Why wouldn't a headline like this be appropriate: "Local authorities handle personnel issues." Oh, but that's not intriguing enough to make a reader go further.

  • Sheila - 10 years ago

    I think there are more pressing stories that need to be focused on. I think the bulletin is targeting the wrong entity and making a mockery of our law enforcement!

  • David - 10 years ago

    Is a newspaper responsible for a person's feelings or to report the news? News as factually presented probably will make someone unhappy. News is facts, not feelings

  • Lynn Beck - 10 years ago

    I can't help but notice in the facebook article by the managing editor that he took a lot of time asking if the headline was over the line and never really answering it. In the end, he stood by the headline and the reporter. Basically, he was saying that while a lot of people had expressed displeasure in the headline (that must have been the case or he would not have responded), he, and the newspaper staff don't really care what people think. After seeing the result of this poll so far, I am wondering if this same managing editor will come out and print a retraction or an apology or anything in the way of saying he might have been wrong. I doubt it. The Baxter Bulletin has lost all credibility and is not a local newspaper any more with a view on the likes and dislikes of the community. I posted my opinion on the Baxter Bulletin facebook page yesterday and was promptly called out by reporter Josh Dooley who totally misinterpreted my comments and missed the point entirely. Now that I've expressed my opinion here, I will refrain from further comment as I don't have time for the drama. I just hope the Baxter Bulletin has the decency to listen to the community about this issue.

  • Tom Phillips - 10 years ago

    I don't think the article was misleading. I thought the paper was just reporting the facts as they had them. Whether or not someone tells
    the truth is misleading. I think that is the difference. Lastly, the part of this story that concerns me is the safety of the staff and the inmates.

  • KnowsBetter - 10 years ago

    There was a lot more to the story then what was admitted to. People shouldn't be so gullible, just because the "jailer" says it wasn't intimate. Since when did people start telling the whole truth...

  • cathy alt - 10 years ago

    There has got to be more to the story than what the Baxter Bulletin has reported....hard to read between the lines on this one. Why would she risk her job????....there was reportedly no intimacy going on between the two of them...so why???

  • anonymous - 10 years ago

    Since when does the Baxter Bulletin have concern over publishing misleading content?

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