Protests Greet New Publisher p. 12

Readers angry over story naming beloved doctor as target of
investigation into infant's smothering death
THE DAY JOHN Brewer arrived in Port Angeles, Wash., for his new job as publisher of the local newspaper, he saw his first problem outside his office window.
Parading around the Peninsula Daily News building was a group of townspeople protesting because the newspaper published the name of a beloved doctor accused of smothering a 3-day-old infant.
"It was a classic kill-the-messenger situation," said Brewer, a former Associated Press and New York Times Co. executive. "Here was a man who probably had delivered half the babies in the county accused of a terrible crime."
Holding heart-shaped balloons reading "We support Gene," about 70 mothers, fathers, daughters and sons turned out in support of Dr. Eugene Turner, who is being investigated by the Port Angeles police and the state Medical Quality Assurance Commission, which has limited his license to practice medicine by prohibiting him from using resuscitation methods. In addition, Turner has voluntarily suspended his privileges at Olympic Memorial Hospital, where the the infant was born. At this writing, Turner has not been charged with a crime.
According to hospital documents, nurses saw the 62-year-old Turner place his hand over the nose and mouth of the baby, who he believed had been born braindead.
Patti Filion, who organized the rally, asked Brewer how many subscriptions the Daily News had lost, and how many letters it had received, on the issue. Brewer said 12 subscribers had canceled, but overall circulation increased, and no advertisers bailed out.
Brewer said coverage was fair and balanced. The pediatrician's name was printed because the state identified him, and the News did not want to be accused of covering it up, Brewer said.
A local radio station and a cable company did not identify Turner in their reports.
In following up, the newspaper went to court to obtain records showing that hospital officials knew the incident should have been reported to the police within 48 hours — but wasn't. The hospital's executive committee decided the local community "may not be able to cope with such a report," the story related.
Prior to the demonstration, Filion, 45, and others distributed fliers around town that read: "Are you outraged at the Peninsula Daily News coverage of Dr.Turner? We are! Join us in a Display of Hearts for Dr. Eugene Turner . . . . PDN needs to explain their biased reporting." Filion was quoted in the News' Page One story as crediting Turner with prolonging her son's life during a seven-year battle with cancer.
Brewer, who is still getting acquainted with the community of 18,500 people, said that people have stopped him in the street to explain they turned out to "show their loyalty" to the doctor. "They welcomed me as the new publisher and told me not to take it personally," he recalled.
In a column, News managing editor Roger Morton wrote: "It has not been easy to run stories that we know some readers — often our own families — will hate to read. . . . Our job is to give you all the facts so you can make informed opinions," even if the facts "at times may be displeasing or uncomfortable."
Running Turner's name was "in line with standard procedures," he said, promising to "report important stories despite knowing many people will be mad at us."
"It has not been easy to run stories that we know some readers — often our own
families — will hate to read"
•("It was a classic kill-the-messenger situation. Here was a man who probably had delivered half the babies in the county accused of a terrible crime.") [Photo & Caption]
•(— John Brewer, publisher, Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, Wash.) [Photo & Caption]
•(E&P Web Site:http://www.mediainfo. com)
•(copyright: Editor & Publisher March 7,1998)