By Staff
Our View
The media is not always viewed in a positive light, mainly because of the wide range of stories viewed as "news."
Reporters are loved when they are needed to assist in finding a missing loved one or to feature a beloved community member, but when something goes awry they become a plague, the person every authority avoids.
During Friday morning's fiasco at Escambia County High School there was a lot of miscommunication between students, parents and relatives of students over what exactly took place at the school. There were rumors circulating that a student had brought a gun to school, that a student was going to burn down the school and that a student had a list of targeted individuals he or she was going to shoot. According to school officials, after an investigation all were determined to be false. In fact, they believe the rumors were started by students with cell phones.
Without the media, parents may still be scared to send their children back to school Monday, after two thirds of the student body checked out Friday. Now that they know the truth, it may be easier.
Everything was handled professionally by Escambia County School's Superintendent Billy Hines, school faculty and the Atmore Police Department, so there was nothing to hide. Hines realized that and opted to address the situation.
Hines did not have to address the media, but did so knowing the importance of the power of the pen. Besides, it's better than the alternative – a ringing phone come Monday morning.