It amazes me at how certain things get published in the local newspaper. One recent article which ran in relation to the excitement of Jeffrey Pratt told the story of a bank teller who had the misfortune of experiencing one of his robberies. Christine Philpot had been employed by Farmers National Bank for twenty-eight years; two at the main branch in Cynthiana, and the remaining at the Berry location. During her employment in Berry she experienced four robberies. She has been stared down by the barrel of a gun and locked in a vault. This past May, seven months following Pratt's robbery of the Berry branch, she finally decided to retire from her job at the bank. The story itself is worth reading--I have no issue with the story as a whole. My issue comes with one line which was published: She said she worried about whether any of these suspects knew her, knew where she lived or other things about her.
Why publish something like that? Tell everyone that she still fears for her life? Possibly even give a suspect an idea of finding her name, her kin's names, address, etc.? ...but then, Becky Barnes (editor/journalist) writes more: Now a part-time city clerk for Berry, Philpot has found more time to be with her family -- husband Ray, three children Kenneth Ray, Sherri Lynn and Christopher Lee, as well as her eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Her new office is directly across from the bank.
Okay... Christine says she fears what information these people may have; and so you publish family names? And say where she works? And give the location for the new job? All this following a statement Philpot made in regards to one of the crimes: [In reference to the July 2004 robbery] He was never caught, but Philpot has her theories.
So... You say she fears for her life, give her full name, her husband's and children's names, and say where she works after making sure to write that she "has her theories" about why a bank robber escaped? Brilliant. Why not include that her number is published in the book? Or that if you google her name and city of residence you can get her address and even get directions to her house? Of course, if you're googling for that, you could also run across a copy of her mother-in-law's obituary as published in the Falmouth Outlook, and find a longer list of family members. I'm sure more could be found, but I stopped looking after the first three hits. I wonder sometimes whether anyone at The Democrat[1] thinks about what they're doing before they print.
1: http://www.cynthianademocrat.com
Tags: #randomness
...i sometimes wonder whether i think about what i'm doing before i post...
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