Disclaimers and Doubts

When the UP editors told me about Marti Harvey's police record, I knew I couldn't objectively counsel them. I'm too close to the story.

Sometimes advisers need advisers. So I consulted a professional journalist, a media attorney, and even an HR director. When I recited the facts, all three agreed it was worthy of reporting. They also posed some good questions, and my own answers eased my apprehensiveness...

What if you had discovered this same set of facts about another recently hired FAU administrator who works directly with college students?

I'd advise the editors to run with it. Without hesitation.

This says as much about FAU's hiring practices as anything else: Did FAU officials fail to follow up on Marti's job application? Or did they know the details and still hire her?

I'm not sure, because the editors are in that interview at this very moment. (It's 10:30 Friday morning as I post this.)

Does Marti's history of playing vague with the rest of her background make this arrest more compelling and revealing to your readers?

Most definitely. Especially for someone in the media business, who must advise students about pursuing the truth.

MONDAY: FAU writes some letters of its own.