In a front page story in its own paper, the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus disclosed Thursday morning that it was aware of a reporter’s history as a convicted sex offender when it hired and assigned him to cover cops and courts.
Veteran Times Argus and Rutland Herald reporter Susan Smallheer writes that the reporter in question, Eric Blaisdell, “immediately disclosed his criminal history” to Times Argus editor Steven Pappas when applying for the job in June. Smallheer writes:
Pappas said he had checked Blaisdell’s references and talked to the N.H. Department of Corrections. Everyone said that Blaisdell posed no risk to the general public, was contrite, and was working hard to put his life back together.
Smallheer’s story, which also ran in the Herald, comes a day after Seven Days reported on Blaisdell’s criminal record. A Times Argus editor told Seven Days in that story that he had no knowledge of Blaisdell’s criminal past and other top editors and managers declined to correct that statement.
The 27-year-old reporter was arrested in 2007 after New Hampshire law enforcement officials and an online vigilante group both caught Blaisdell conversing online with individuals posing as underage girls. Blaisdell pled guilty to three charges of using the internet to solicit sex from minors and served more than eight months in prison; he remains on probation.
Smallheer quotes Times Argus and Rutland Herald publisher John Mitchell defending his company’s decision to hire Blaisdell:
“I applaud the efforts of the criminal justice system in fairly administering punishment to those who have broken the law and also offering an opportunity for rehabilitation,” said publisher R. John Mitchell in a statement to The Times Argus and its sister publication, the Rutland Herald. “This is an incredibly well supervised and restricted situation by the judge, the probation officer and a therapist, I am not going to second guess that process, am willing to participate in it and give it a chance.”
Smallheer quotes two national media ethics experts — one of whom, Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute, was also quoted in the original Seven Days story — raising questions about the Times Argus‘s decision to let Blaisdell cover sex crimes and sex offenders. They also argue that the paper should have been more transparent about the situation with its audience.
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“People love it when you lose…”
I guess the Argus feels they hired an expert to cover a particular field of their reporting. They hired they now have to face whatever occurs from the backlash.
Had the paper not hired Blaisdell, they could be in violation of EEOC guidance. See http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guida… if you want to see details, but you cannot eliminate someone from consideration for a job Just for having a conviction. The guidance is very clear (and long at 55 pages)
What jobs does the Seven Days think convicted sex offenders (in this case, for online solicitation) ought to be allowed to hold? None? Is it a problem because he was assigned to cover court news, or because he was hired by an employer at all?