TO THE EDITOR:
As a former Daily Tar Heel reporter and editor, I felt proud reading that the newspaper is leading seven other media organizations in filing a lawsuit against a public institution that won’t turn over records these newspapers think are pertinent to the public’s understanding of the student-athlete investigations. As a journalist by profession, I felt disappointed and saddened seeing the reader comments posted online. Most people berate the DTH for participating in this suit, saying that it’s “sensationalism” and that the University should “crush” the newspaper.
I am disappointed in our education system for not teaching its students the importance of the press and its watchdog function. If it weren’t for the media, the public may not have found out about such crucial issues as Watergate and Enron, to name some of the most well-known cases.
In its filing of this lawsuit, the DTH and its fellow organizations are merely trying to gain access to what they deem is legally theirs. They’re trying to foster an environment of increased openness so that we, the public, may know as much as possible about the issue at hand. We only stand to benefit from the release of these records. And if these documents are found to be protected by privacy laws, then so be it; that’s what the legal system is there for.
Catarina Saraiva
New York City Resident
