WHOA! .... Bill Conlin resigns amid child molestation investigation

Although I get the sense that Chris is just trying to start a fight, he does illustrate the disconnect we have with the general public with regard to our role. Non-journalists like Chris have the impression that we are some kind of moral governing body that metes out punishment against those who we deem to have erred. I get it all the time from sports fans - Why are you giving Coach So-and-so a pass?! Why doesn't anybody stand up to him?! Why don't you guys challenge him?!

My job is to ask questions, report news, and explain what it all means. The Sandusky story has rolled on because: A) It is an ongoing criminal case, which constitutes news; B) Penn State fired Paterno and the Pres., which constitutes news; C) Penn State finished its football season, which constitutes news; D) Penn State hired a new coach, which constitutes news; E) Paterno died, which constitutes news

The media didn't just decide to nail Sandusky, Paterno and Penn State to a cross. There has been a steady flow of news, which has provided the columnists and pundits with a steady stream of material to opine on.

Where is the news with Conlin? What would you have the media do? If you can't come up with a better argument than, "Well, they should be doing SOMETHING. . .," chances are you are just bitching about the media to bitch about the media. There is no criminal case. There is no grand jury report. Do you want reporters parked in front of Conlin's house as some sort of punitive measure?

 

+1.

 

Nothing is stopping web loggers from doing this work, either, if they want it done. Freedom of the press applies to them, as well.

Get crackin'.

 

Daemon - I don't disagree with your argument but part of what you say suggests that Conlin is not being pursued because the cases brought to light are beyond the statute of limits. That said - do you think Conlin just stopped molesting kids at a certain point and never again? Or are there other victims out there that might come forward if they felt the media wouldn't be in Conlin's corner? I swear that I have no ulterior motive here. I just noticed the other day that it had been over a month without any news about Conlin and that struck me as strange.

Dick - you are a parent - do you really want to pick a fight on a thread about a child molester?

Really?

 

Chris - It took these alleged victims 40 years to come forward, and they were family. Don't know if you've noticed the common theme in all these cases, but child sex abuse is notoriously hard to uncover. How would you suggest a reporter go about tracking down these other victims? Just start calling kids and former kids Conlin has interacted with and ask them if he ever touched them? That's not even to say that no reporters are working on this. You have no idea if they are or not.

 

Well, let's think of it more as many, many more people being interested in the Penn State football program and the Syracuse men's basketball program than in some old washed-up reporter whose days of widespread national prominence went away well before the cred of the Sporting News did. Now, if someone suspects Conlin molested Shaughnessy, then it should be on like friggin' Donkey Kong.

And azrael's post is a masterpiece

 

By that criteria, every available reporter for every available medium would be tied up with dogging suspected child molesters. This isn't a Pokeman world; you can't catch 'em all.

 

You are such a disingenuous troll.

The entire reason you bumped this thread - just like the entire reason you bumped the jobs bill thread and the entire reason you started your Pat Burrell thread - was to pick a fight. You have cover to do this stuff from some of the moderators who love you, but most of us see through your little act. I remember when the Journalism Board had a lot of hugely successful writers dispensing advice and experiences. It was good for the industry and good for young writers trying to break in. Until a jerk-off web logger with a few friends in high places around here decided to chase them all away for sport.

 

Jesus Dick - get over yourself. If you do really see a conspiracy and ulterior motive surrounding every post and thread - maybe you should take a break.

 

I haven't seen Chris Jones or some other writers of his ilk around here lately.

Any idea why they might have left?

 

Are you now somehow equating yourself to Chris Jones?

What did I do to force Chris Jones to leave? I'd like to know so I can try to use it on you.

Did I get Whitlock to leave too? Did I kidnap the Lindberg baby?

 

I was told once that you are the kind of guy who trolls people, then walks away laughing while they get angry. So it's best not to give you what you want.

But you're not. That was a complete mis-evaluation. You're an insecure little person who can dish it out but can't take it. When someone gives it right back to you, you send them raging PM's challenging them to schoolyard fistfights.

Crawl back under your bridge, troll.

P.S. Real independent media critics like Deadspin and Big Lead garner attention with their work. People go to their site, because they have something to offer. They don't have to seek it out by stirring up a message board for journalists. That's the only way you can get under anyone's skin in the business, and it drives you crazy. If you had anything worthwhile to say, people would come to you. Instead, you have to come to them.