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Myers Escape
A couple of readers have called to complain about how The Phoenix on July 30 "raked up" the story of how Chad Daher Myers escaped from the custody of two constables in 2005, in a front-page sidebar to a two-part Associated Press series on the need for reforming and standardizing the constable system throughout Pennsylvania. The callers said that retelling that event caused unnecessary pain for his family, at least one of whom still works in Phoenixville.
The reason that The Phoenix added that recounting into the Associated Press article on prisoner escapes is that the original article did not supply details on the other cases. It seemed that including the story of Chad Myers’ escape would serve as a useful illustration for our readers, making it more relevant for everyone.
As to the timeliness of the Myers escape, the story was analyzing an ongoing trend, not a recent flurry of escapes, so the incident did seem an appropriate example, not outdated, even though it happened in 2005.
The Myers family is in a difficult situation, and deserves sympathy. However, The Phoenix has to serve the interests of the entire community. Creating statewide regulations standardizing constables' training and conduct, as well as prisoner transport, would make everyone safer. If publicizing the Chad Myers escape again helps to make that happen, then The Phoenix is doing its job as a newspaper.
Sincerely,
Patricia Matson
Editor, The Phoenix
Phoenixville Newspapers, Inc.
The reason that The Phoenix added that recounting into the Associated Press article on prisoner escapes is that the original article did not supply details on the other cases. It seemed that including the story of Chad Myers’ escape would serve as a useful illustration for our readers, making it more relevant for everyone.
As to the timeliness of the Myers escape, the story was analyzing an ongoing trend, not a recent flurry of escapes, so the incident did seem an appropriate example, not outdated, even though it happened in 2005.
The Myers family is in a difficult situation, and deserves sympathy. However, The Phoenix has to serve the interests of the entire community. Creating statewide regulations standardizing constables' training and conduct, as well as prisoner transport, would make everyone safer. If publicizing the Chad Myers escape again helps to make that happen, then The Phoenix is doing its job as a newspaper.
Sincerely,
Patricia Matson
Editor, The Phoenix
Phoenixville Newspapers, Inc.
posted by The Phoenix Files at
7:51 PM
1 Comments:
Ms. Matson, I am surprised that you have taken this topic to end your long silence on this message board. Do you realize we are staring at a fourth annual double digit tax increase this year? We also have a Council that believes that they have carte blanche on the spending of tax dollars with no consideration of those who are paying the bill, THE RESIDENTS! Is this not a local NEWSPAPER? Or is the topic of taxes, previously noted that you have little knowledge of, a little too close to home. In my opinion, humble as it may be, if you want to be a larger type paper, get involved with the issues that are hitting, the readership, close to home.
I suspect that there will be continued efforts (through censorship) to quell myself or others that desire to see the paper REPORT on issues that face every resident of the 5500 or so homes that make up this Borough.
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