Monday, April 27, 2009

N&O: Tipster’s “Tar Heel of the Week” Claim “Not True”

McClatchy Watch has posted a story which begins:

A tipster tells me News & Observer reporters have been told not to do any followup reporting on a man [, James Stephens,] who was named "Tar Heel of the Week" last week by the N&O, despite receiving new information the man was arrested in December for assaulting his wife.
McClatchy Watch’s entire post is here.

I’ve just called N&O executive editor John Drescher to confirm the report. He said it's “not true.”
”There is no truth to a report we quashed a follow-up story on Mr. Stephens. Our readers should look forward to reading a follow-up story to the original ‘Tar Heel of the Week’ story."
Asked when that story would appear, Drescher said it was being “worked on now. When all the fact-checking is complete, we’ll publish it.”

The N&O’s “Tar Heel of the Week” story featuring Stephens is here.

I’ll follow this story, Let me know if there’s some aspect of it I should be covering.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A poster at McC. W. wrote:
Anonymous said...
See James in action on You Tube, he makes fun of people in NC. He says, “Preachers in NC can’t even read.“ That ought to make him 'Tar Heel of the Week' right there.
-----
James Stephens III live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtYyKJvs7Zg

Anonymous said...

If Linda Williams has anything to do with the Drescher-promised follw-up story ..........
well, we know.
And we know you know.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect to Anonymous 9:48, Mr. Stevens was making fun of the black church experience. His audience was black. He is black. It's called laughing at yourself. Try it! You might like it.

The people he was talking about he nailed exactly. He was laughing with, not at. He was not mean spirited or hurtful. Lighten up. The preachers he was talking about indeed can't read. What's your point?