McClatchy's Editor's Blog open again for Duke lacrosse comments

For almost 4 weeks the McClatchy Company's Raleigh News & Observer's executive editor for news, Melanie Sill, has failed to post at the Editor’s Blog or mention in her column the Duke lacrosse story.

The N&O’s biased and inflammatory Duke lacrosse coverage (See, for examples, here, here, and here) helped turn a report of rape into what's increasingly being recognized as a massive "witch hunt" that appears to have included evidence suppression by the Durham police and DA, and news suppression and distortion by The N&O itself.

During the past 4 weeks N&O readers have asked Sill and N&O public editor, Ted Vaden, many questions about the paper's Duke lacrosse coverage but Sill and Vaden remained silent at their blogs and in their columns.

Sill recently began removing readers' Duke lacrosse questions and comments from the Editor's Blog. She's even threatened to permanently ban some readers from McClatchy's Editor's Blog who asked questions about N&O Duke lacrosse coverage because Sill said the questions weren’t “on point” to what she was talking about. (Full disclosure. I'm one of those Sill has threatened to ban. However, she began threatening me well before the Duke lacrosse story developed - JinC.)

Some readers have persisted in commenting despite Sill's prompt removal of their comments. Others tell me they've phoned and or sent me blinc copies of emails to Sill and Vaden asking they respond.

Well, Sill has finally posted on Duke lacrosse and said she will respond to comments and questions. You can visit her post here.

Late this evening I plan to post here at JinC some questions I've asked Sill and Vaden regarding N&O Duke lacrosse coverage but which they’ve not answered.

I hope you will visit again tomorrow, Monday, and take a look at the questions.

I hope you'll also comment on what you read here and on what you think about The N&O’s Duke lacrosse coverage.