Exactly right. The Lds church-owned Des News flunked ethics here.
From the Garn had confessed to editors. The newspaper had an obligation not just to its readers, but to the electorate at large to tell what reporters and editors knew. In this case, the newspaper failed its test in public trust.
Good. We're in agreement. Now what is the Des News going to do 'bout this?
From the column: Should anything else happen? Yes, this case should invite dialog about how the balance privacy and the public's right to know.
It should do more than that. The Des News should fire its managing editor (Rick Hall), who...
(a) Sat on the story
(b) 8 yrs later says it can't remember details
(c) but remembers enough details to think it might have been a late campaign attack upon a candidate (as if that mattered, given the guy confessed to editors)
From the column: Even those who may argue that the Deseret News was justified in its initial decision in 2002, surely they can't support the News' inaction in the subsequent years as Garn was reelected to the Utah House, again rose to House leadership and became a leading advocate for ethics reform.
Agreed
Mistake? WTH?
A mistake is when you write a 5 instead of a 2 NOT when you get in hot tub with a naked child.
au contraire, mon ami!
Do you not remember your HISTORY?
And what happened to ANOTHER newspaper than printed bad things about MORMONism?
Even if they were TRUE???
Who needs a fawtwa?