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Editor’s poor reporting taste

I am not a parent or family of any of our Broncs’ team, nor have I attended a game in a while but I did grow up

Dear Editor,

I am not a parent or family of any of our Broncs’ team, nor have I attended a game in a while but I did grow up in a basketball household and have a brother who was once a coach and I have to say, your original piece on “Broncs’ Effort Failing To Impress” in March 26 edition of the paper and your response to a letter in April 2nd’s paper seem to be in pretty poor taste.

I also was not at the game (as it seems neither were you according to your statement that you were going off the website scores) so I don’t know exactly how our team played. Nor did I talk to any players, family or coaching staff. However, to drag down our home team based on nothing more than a score sheet when they make it to provincials but don’t manage a win seems not ‘fact’ that you are writing about but mere personal opinion. And printed in bold as a headline. The following statement “the senior Broncs’ attempt.... remains just that, an attempt” is also more of a derogatory opinion than reporting fact. And that trend peppers the whole original piece. How is it our team, despite having a perfect league record, who obviously worked hard to make it to provincials this year get a printed slap for not bringing home a win? And the editor’s note in the next issue makes the excuse that “we would have gladly reflected more than the scores... if our efforts to reach out to the coaching staff had been reciprocated” is just that. A poor excuse. You did reflect more than the scores. You reflected severe disappointment and reproach on the team through your choice of words. Games that you didn’t watch them play in. If you had that little to go on, and you hadn’t been able to connect with the managers/coaching staff prior to your article would it not have been in better taste to lift up our team spirits, to say “Good effort team, maybe next time!” or “Good job making it that far, keep up the hard work and next time will be a slam dunk?” This is our home team, our town paper.... perhaps next time you should just stick to facts if you have that little of information to go on and that sort of mentality.

Regards

Megan Gardipee

Editor’s note: Broncs have received the most extensive coverage of recent years during their regular season this year, when Ponoka News reported on their wins week after week. Those wins were reported without any spin put on them, just like the defeats in the provincials. The facts remain (even if one doesn’t like them): Ponoka team lost two of their three games; participation in the provincials was an attempt at the title and because it did not succeed, it remained an attempt.

The difference is that news of victory is always sweet; but when the bitter-tasting news of defeat is delivered without sugarcoating, the messenger becomes the scapegoat for telling it as it is.