BETH DEISHER, COIN WORLD, AND JOURNALIST ETHICS

In reference to “Michael Marotta on John J. Ford” published in the Feb. 4, 2018, issue of The E-Sylum: Mr. Marotta is entitled to his opinions. However, he is not entitled to publish untruths. Facts are facts.

Fact: During the time I was employed at Coin World -- March 1, 1981, through April 30, 2012 -- there was never any litigation in which “all of the notebooks of the reporters [were] seized as evidence,” as Mr. Marotta claimed.

There was a libel suit filed against Coin World in January 1985 in which the notes and documents one writer used to prepare a series of news stories were subpoenaed as evidence. That suit was settled out of court in February 1992, with the only stipulation being that Coin World would publish a press release that had been offered two weeks after the suit was filed in 1985. That press release was published on Page 24 of the March 9, 1992, issue of Coin World.

Fact: Mr. Marotta was employed by Coin World from May 24, 1999, to May 5, 2000. His claim that Coin World “had just gotten through a lawsuit” when he joined the staff is at odds with the truth. The suit he referenced had been settled more than seven years prior to his hiring. Since he had virtually no prior experience in working for a weekly publication such as Coin World, during his orientation particular attention would have been paid to professional standards and ethics as well as to expected adherence to the publication’s policy guidelines.

Fact: Mr. Marotta’s assertion that I “permitted no criticism of John J. Ford, not just in print, but verbally in the office,” is patently false. The Guest Editorial, Point-Counter-Point, and Letters to the Editor columns, particularly during the years 1997 through 2000, in which many readers voiced opinions on both sides of the debate, often citing Mr. Ford by name, bear witness to Mr. Marotta’s disregard for the truth.

I did not issue an edict forbidding criticism of Ford due to any favoritism or loyalty to him personally. What I did do was to counsel and advise all who worked on the editorial staff to avoid discussions, particularly with readers and others in the numismatic community, of controversial topics and making statements about anyone (Mr. Ford included) that could be perceived as favoring one side over the other or conversely disparaging an individual or firm. I also cautioned against statements that could be construed as prejudicial against a person or firm that could lead to a claim of malice. Such an approach is prudent and well within the code of ethics for professional journalists and was indeed a part of Coin World’s policy guidelines.

There is good reason to keep an open mind and maintain neutrality as a journalist. At any given time one may be called upon to interview or report on events that involve people of differing views. Case in point: I covered and wrote Coin World’s news coverage of “The Great Debate” between Theodore V. Buttrey Jr. and Michael J. Hodder that took place Aug. 12, 1999, during the American Numismatic Association’s convention in Rosemont, Ill. Had I advocated for one side over the other before the debate, I would have been disqualified from reporting on the debate and Coin World would have lost credibility with its readers.

During my tenure as editor, if I had opinions about a particular subject, person, or event, they were expressed in written Editorials that carried my byline.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MICHAEL MAROTTA ON JOHN J. FORD (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n05a19.html)

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