I am a student in Craig Wirth&s Public Relations class and was present the day Mr. Butterfield, a reporter from the National Enquirer, came to speak. I found your article and commentary on the event offensive and insulting. The sarcastic and belligerent manner in which the event was reported was a disgrace to the Chronicle. It&s ironic that you would include quotes from Dr. Massey about &do harm& journalism. Perhaps you should let Dr. Massey teach you what that is. Your stories were nothing more than an attack on Mr. Wirth. Are you intentionally doing harm? If so, you are no better than the tabloid you so despise. Your articles contained gossip, smear journalism, and facts that are completely misrepresented and irrelevant. You did not take an objective view of the issue at hand. You were influenced by your personal biases and it came out in print. You infringed upon the privacy of those students whom you quoted in Adam&s article. And then you had the tenacity of claiming that you were protecting their rights. How did you get the names of the students in the class? Aren&t those records confidential? Were you present for the presentation? Since when is it ok for the Chronicle pick and choose the ethical guidelines it will follow and which ones it will not? Maybe I have been brainwashed by Mr. Butterfield&s &unethical& presentation. Or maybe it was when Jay Shelledy came and spoke to a PR class I had a couple semesters ago. He too was involved with the Enquirer incident. This type of presentation is nothing new. Do the Chronicle and those who are behind these stories want to censor all of the information we as students receive? This type of article is a threat to each and every student on campus. The last time I checked the Chronicle always praised controversy. You supported it. Now all of the sudden you attack it. I don&t understand. You also failed to mention that Mr. Butterfield is a graduate of the U. By the looks of it Adam Benson will be the next Alumnus from the U to work for the Enquirer.
Patrick BoiceSenior, Public Relations