Tag: university of idaho homicides

whether Kohberger ate at the Mad Greek is not the issue. The issue — as far as I'm concerned — is that Kohberger has waived rights to due process for six months. A Moscow, Idaho, resident would hope that the media would lay off our fair city for six months.

There is evil in this world. I have seen it. And I have experienced it.

We have the right to say whatever we want, right? Isn’t that what the First Amendment says? Not necessarily. While the First Amendment says Congress shall make no law abridging the right of free speech, there is no such restriction on the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Washington State University Ph.D. student, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested Dec. 30 at his parents’ home in the Pennsylvania Poconos. Aggressive reporting that cites sources close to the investigation tells us police focused on Kohberger before Christmas as they closed in on a Hyundai Elantra that had been photographed near the crime scene and simultaneously traced DNA evidence to Kohberger family members.

It is said that time seems to move faster as we get older. In some ways, I think that has been true for me. I wake up on a Jan. 1 and the next thing I know we are celebrating New Year’s Eve. But 2022 has not moved so quickly. It has seemed interminable.

Reporters are supposed to find the news, tease out rumor and innuendo to report facts; but too many reporters covering the story are using rumor as the basics of their stories. Too many are using words like “terrible” and “horrifying” in their work. I’m sorry, but: Duh. Of course the story is, they do not need to state the obvious. Following the memorial service at UI, too many reporters leaped onto the innuendo for their stories. One Spokane TV reporter speculating the crowd was uneasy because, “They did not know if the murderer was right next to them.” Talk about irresponsible reporting, that is a prime example. OK, I get it – the information is slow to come out. The police are protecting what information and leads they have. They absolutely do not want to jeopardize this case when it goes to court.

How can a news organization possibly cover a horrific community tragedy, respecting those most affected — victims, their families and friends — while simultaneously serving the larger community? Short answer: It is not always possible.