The Covington News has been under some scrutiny recently after reporting on recent activities of a local nonprofit and a family of elected officials. That scrutiny has not gone unnoticed and some explanations are deserved.
The job of a newspaper is to not only inform its readers, but to hold its community accountable. Whether it is covering a local event or the activities of an elected official, the community newspaper should be there.
Recently, The News has been knee-deep in the coverage of the Nelson Heights Community Center and the Henderson family. You can see evidence of that in this week’s edition of the newspaper.
How do we make the decision to cover what we cover? Why do we keep picking on this family? Why don’t we just drop it? These are just a few of the questions I’ve heard recently and I definitely think you deserve answers.
Commissioner J.C. Henderson and Covington City Councilman Anthony Henderson are what I would easily refer to as “public figures” in Newton County. Whether they’ve earned that role for the title before their name and the elected position they hold or through their long-standing and lifelong involvement in the community, they’re considered a staple here.
On another hand, NHCC is a public entity. Not only is it a local nonprofit, but it also receives public funds, making it a newsworthy organization as well.
With that being said, the role of a public figure or public entity is to answer to its constituents and serve the community the right way. The News is here to make sure that is done.
Recently, Covington News Sports Editor Gabriel Stovall (@GabrielStovall1) tweeted something that definitely hit close to home on this situation.
“Ignoring issues doesn’t equate to love. Speaking unpopular and unliked truth does not equate to hate.”
I do not hate the Henderson family. I do not hate NHCC. I don’t believe anyone at this newspaper does. However, I will not ignore what is going on. I will not stop asking questions.
Last week, The News reported on the annual registration of NHCC. You will see that in this week’s edition of the paper as well. As things change, the information will be provided.
Earlier this week, The News reported that a county-owned vehicle was damaged by a tree. That county-owned vehicle just so happened to be parked in Commissioner Henderson’s driveway and have NHCC decals on the side of it. As additional information was received and continues to be received, The News will report it.
I’ve also seen points raised as to why we did not cover the more “positive” activities of the Henderson family or the NHCC. Let me put it simply, we did not know about them until after the fact. I cannot cover something I don’t know about.
Jackie Gutknecht is the managing editor of The Covington News. She can be reached at jgutknecht@covnews.com or 770-728-14009. Twitter: @jackieg1991
