Editor,
Regardless of what one might think about the allegations Cynthia Lopez has made in filing her suit against UNM and three faculty members, the fact remains that they are indeed allegations.
The article about the case, which appeared in the Lobo Aug. 22, did not use the kind of neutral language and journalistic professionalism which readers should expect from any newspaper. Lopez was simply quoted and the writer of the article did not make clear that what she said are her claims, her perspectives, her feelings and her side of the story.
In this way, the writer presented Lopez's allegations as "the truth of the story." At the end of the article, the writer notes that the defendants in the case could not be reached for comment; this too seems to seal the truth value of Lopez' side of the story, although it should be clear to anyone familiar with such cases that defendants seldom comment publicly.
Given the tone, content, and import of the Lobo's so-called "reporting" of this case, jury selection may be made much more difficult if the case goes to trial, since many potential jurors may well be unduly influenced by articles saturated with such bias. Are Lobo writers even minimally prepared to report on such contentious stories in a professional manner?
UNM and the individuals involved in this case are poorly served by this kind of reportage.
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Les Field
UNM faculty
