Editor's Desk: Our slip-up on Pierre story was there for all to see

By TOM MARQUARDT, Editor & Publisher

Capital Gazette Communications

Published 10/04/09

Friends and associates often ask me if I'm having fun when something controversial is breaking in the news. Editors and reporters love being part of a fast-moving story, but news often comes at someone else's expense - and that's not fun.

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That was the case with Zina Pierre, who was forced to drop out of the mayoral race when her financial troubles were disclosed shortly after her primary win. The story stretched out for days as she vacillated over whether to withdraw from the race, and as new disclosures were made.

It wasn't fun for Pierre or us. We failed miserably in our watchdog role by not uncovering her...

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Pathetic - 2009-10-06 13:15:51

1) I would like to see the Editor's response the next time some government official slips up and offers an "I could have done better" apology. I don't think they would accept it.

2) Why do they lump Cordle in this discussion of who was responsible for finding out this information? The last time I checked he was a Republican and she was a Democrat. He wasn't running against her and I will guarantee this same newspaper would rip him to shreds if they knew he was doing a background investigation of her. Pathetic.

3) Still doesn't explain what and when the Capital knew anything.

4) I know the judiciary database is very difficult to use, but a little bit of hard work may have paid off. When don't accept "its too hard" excuses from our school students and we shouldn't accept it from the media.

5) "But I'm not sure about the court experiences of other candidates." So in other words, if we don't know if its revelant, we won't do anything with it. Cop out.

6) "That's probably because attention was focused on the likely winners, Cohen and Trudy McFall." So you basically have admitted the Capital decided who the frontrunners were, and you shouldn't be held accountable for covering ALL of the candidates. The people rest.

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Floyd daBarber - Mayberry, NC - Karma: Neutral

Not surprising - 2009-10-06 13:08:57

Why does it not surprise me that someone (Stanford) is now saying the Capital should go after the "whistleblower" for simply pointing out information that was available to public; as if some crime was committed. Give me a break.

Look everyone dropped the ball here, it's not a big cover-up, or a well-timed, politically motivated uveiling of the truth. Had this information come out before hand, Cohen would have won the primary anyway. The only thing accomplished was Pierre looking like she has no clue how to manage herself, let alone the city of Annapolis, all-the-while still pointing the finger at everyone else and further damaging the Democratic Party's chance at winning the general election.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Excellent

Investigative Journalism - 2009-10-06 11:48:47

The Capital, which is one of the better newspapers in the country for a city the size of Annapolis, can make amends for not taking Rev. Pierre serious as a candidate. How? By investigating who "sore throat" was. Who whispered in the night to make certain that Rev. Pierre was replaced by a "dependable" Josh Cohen. The Capitl can do a good service for our city by tracking down who was "sore throat." Do we need to get Woodward and Berstein on the job?

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Stanford Erickson - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Good