Caught Napping

We recently ran an editorial piece forwarded to us by a subscriber to The Record. It purported to be an address to the staff and students of a Colorado high school by its new principal Dennis Plager. We ran the piece without vetting it, and now we must tell you the real story behind it.

Another reader of The Record checked the http://www.snopes.com website and found that the article in question had indeed taken on a life of its own. According to snopes.com, Dennis Plager is a radio talkshow host in southern California. His "address" represents his attempt to convey what he would say to a school group if he were asked to address them. He is not and never has been a school principal.

When such urban legends begin making the rounds, many of those who send them on to others often add their own assumptions and perceptions to the piece. Thus they surface in slightly different forms that eventually may not have much basis in fact. That is not what happened with the reader who sent the piece to us. It was sent on just as it had been received, with no alterations. Nevertheless, we were caught napping and should have been more diligent about ensuring that urban legends do not become part of our reporting of the news.

It is always good to be reminded that such exaggerations and misrepresentations are continually circulating on the Internet. It was a good reminder to us and also to our readers to look at everything with a critical eye, whether you agree with it or don't agree with it.

So, please keep sending us items of interest. We will try to do a better job of ensuring that the items are what they purport to be. Regardless of whether or not Dennis Plager was actually speaking to a group of high school students, some of his ideas certainly struck a chord with many people who read it. The ideas expressed just needed to be presented in a factual manner, without turning Mr. Plager into something he was not.

Our thanks also to readers who take the time to set us straight. We want and need your feedback to keep us on our toes.