hard deadlines

Citing multiple errors of fact in their coverage of the Elmhurst School infrastructure issue, Portsmouth School Committee Vice-Chair Richard Carpender demanded a correction from WPRI CHannel 12 News Director Joseph Abouzeid, according to a letter obtained by hard deadlines this week. Calling the station's May 6 news story "irresponsible reporting," Carpender details at least six serious misstatements in reporter Danielle North's 2-minute piece.

Click to view pdf.

You can judge for yourself. The original story, as aired, is attached, and you can read Carpender's analysis in this PDF of his letter.

Among the incorrect statements Carpender identifies are claims that "the school is literally dropping down into the dirt," and "the mortar in the elementary school is crumbling away and one wing is sinking." Neither of these are true, says Carpender, citing the recent engineering analysis by Odeh Engineers (which North explicitly claims to have a copy of in her on-air report). Carpender sums it up like this:

"This report left viewers with the impression that the school was in distress raising safety issues which is [not] true, a new school has been recommended raising issues for taxpayers that are unfounded, and that the school was continuing to sink and crumble which is not true. This piece should have been based on the Odeh Structural Investigation Report that contains the latest information according to an engineer’s assessment instead of bits and pieces that raised unwarranted concerns for the citizens of Portsmouth.

I believe that Channel 12 owes the town of Portsmouth some corrective action and an apology."

Just for reference, the address of the WPRI news director:

Mr. Joseph Abouzeid
News Director Channel 12
25 Catamore Street
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914