To the Editor:
As a Dartmouth alum stunned to hear of this week's tragedy, I want to thank you for rekindling my faith and hope for the special community that is Dartmouth and Hanover.
In my morning paper, The Providence Journal I read a quote from Dartmouth reporter, Julia Levy: "I was supposed to be there as a reporter, but after a few minutes, I just put down my notebook. As a member of this community, I just couldn't take notes. People were saying very personal, emotional things that were not meant for the outside world to hear."
The Dartmouth's journalism work has been outstanding. But recognizing when journalism ends and humanity must supercede is a talent so obviously missing from most professional journalists. It's good to know that heart and decency still survive on the Hanover plain. Thank you.
Kate Monteiro '85
To the Editor:
I have just finished reading The Dartmouth's online article "Student is Potential Suspect," and I am astonished. I am appalled at the student's flippant attitude toward the murders of two people, but I am more upset that The D could print such a ridiculous, disrespectful and unprofessional article.
As President Wright reminded us all in his most recent campus blitz, this is a time not for media sensation, but rather mourning. While I did not know either of the Zantops, that does not stop me from according them, their family and their friends, the respect they deserve at a time like this. As a friend pointed out to me, imagine the two Zantop daughters reading what you printed.
Perhaps that will make your error more obvious. It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach to imagine them reading such an article, which treats the investigation of the murder of their parents as some sort of poorly carried out joke. Readers did not need to know every last detail about the alleged suspect's day. We could also have done without the sarcasm. What happened to the Zantops is most certainly not a joking matter.
There are times when stories are important. But there are also times when reporters should show tact, professionalism and perhaps, believe it or not, a bit of humanity. I would not expect this of the national media, but the staff members of The D are also members of the larger Dartmouth community.
Your webpage is viewed by many outside readers curious to find out what is going on on campus. I am horrified that after reading your poorly written and inappropriate article, such readers will falsely believe this investigation has not been taken seriously by those involved. Even worse, they will form incorrect impressions about how most of our community members feel about the circumstance in which we find ourselves. The few important pieces of the story could have been related succinctly in a paragraph or so, and in a manner much more professional than the one I just read, which reminded me of a supermarket tabloid.
Finally, by portraying the investigation as some sort of farce, you are undermining the job being done by the many investigators working on the case. While I am aware that the New Hampshire state police are not used to dealing with murders every single day, they are nonetheless trained professionals.
I am sure that the questions asked of the '02 suspect were both relevant and less ridiculous than he/you made them out to be in your article. As a community with an obvious interest in seeing justice done, we should all be cooperating with, in whatever ways possible, the police and investigators. Instead, The D has chosen to work against them. How very disappointing.
After this outrageous story, I have lost all faith in the reporting abilities of The D. In the future, please remember that what you write has consequences, not just for your readership, but also for those who have been deeply hurt by the tragedies of this past weekend.
Sarah E. Warlick '01
To the Editor:
This is a big thanks someone who went to med school with the Zantops' daughter. Thank you for keeping us updated on the events and bringing us closer to who her parents were.
Leslie Allison Gillum, MD
To the Editor:
Stop succumbing to the sensationalism of the Zantop murders. The student is innocent and, last I checked, you're not the National Enquirer.
Lauren Foley '03
To the Editor:
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know you are working long and hard hours. We know that "even journalists" have hearts, and yours must break several times a day.
Thank you for the stories that you write that reveal your insights into the depth of this tragedy. Thank you for bringing us the only news that we can trust.
Lowell and Karen Richards
