You know what’s crazy? I’ll tell you what’s crazy™
The angry phone calls.
“I’ll sue you,” the angry voice on the other end of the line screams.
“Sue us? For what?”
“For running this story?”
“Oh. Good luck.”
And so it goes.
Truth is a defense in a court of libel law.
But the public doesn’t understand law or truth or sometimes much else.
And Truth doesn’t mean you won’t get sued.
In America, you can sue anyone for anything.
Sometimes news people are wrong and we deserve to get spanked for our inaccuracies.
Many times we are right, and sometimes it doesn’t matter.
When our facts are solid, spot on, carbon copies of the public documents we are reporting, people still get pissed at us, threatening us with unnecessary litigation.
Why?
Public dissemination of factual facts.
People don’t want their dirty laundry aired in public.
You know what?
Public record is public record.
It says the man did that thing with the donkey behind the shed.
You air that and I’ll sue you.
Are you suing because the man didn’t make love to a donkey and we are reporting factual facts inaccurately?
Or did the man have sex with the donkey and the factual facts are factually accurate and you just don’t like the way they sound when you say them aloud?
The public has an interesting take on factual facts.
Sadly for some, we get to report public records.
As long as we report the factual facts factually, then we are protected by law.
It’s our job to report factual facts.
We are the keepers of the truth.
We take the time to shine the light when most of you don’t have the time or desire.
But sometimes the public doesn’t like what those factual facts say.
I understand your reluctance to accept the news that your son had sex with a donkey, mam.
But the official report by the official agency says: MAN HAD DONKEY SEX.
So you call and threaten to sue us, because you are embarrassed by the actions of your son.
You could sue your son or the donkey, but instead you threaten us.
DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER.
Yeah, right.
Now many of you are wondering if I am being sued by the mother of a donkey sex addict?
The answer is NO I AM NOT.
I AM NOT EVEN COVERING SUCH A STORY
Though, sadly, I have in the past.
Trust me; that is a nasty police report to read.
It’s public record.
should it be publicized?
That’s another question.
It’s lurid and the public loves lurid.
I’ve been on a public sidewalk and had people walk up to me and tell me I can’t stand there.
WRONG.
You see this pin on my lapel, A**hole? It says AMERICA!
I’ve pointed my camera at a house that I can clearly see from a public street and I was told I can’t video tape the house without permission of the homeowner.
WRONG.
SEE ABOVE SENTENCE: AMERICA!
I’ve been told I can’t air a story without the consent of the people in the story.
WRONG.
And tonight, more of the same.
The angry calls came and the threats spewed that if we air the story we will be sued.
Really?
Why?
Because you are embarrassed? You don’t like the factual facts?
You aren’t concerned about the details or the facts, you are concerned about those factual facts being illuminated and dissected and talked about.
You are embarrassed.
I get it.
Sorry.
That’s life.
So I double check the factual facts and I run it by a few more sets of eyes and we take a deep breath and we air the story.
Factual facts.
Truth, Justice, the American Way.
Life’s Crazy™