N&O's "Public Editor": Hatchet Work 'Justified'

In his normal Sunday column, News & Observer Public Editor Ted Vaden gave his take on the infamous "College Inn" story that recently appeared in the paper. It was written by Lorenzo Perez, with assistance from everyone's favorite reporter, Chip Alexander.

The story itself has been talked about and criticized by The Red and White from State. I don't feel that I need to give a summary of the article here, as anyone reading this probably knows about the article already.

Mr. Vaden, however, just gave his two cents on the subject in yesterday's paper, and I find his comments quite interesting. While critical of some aspects of the story, he ultimately decides that the story was justified. He actually says "stories", as he links two separate articles. One was an investigative waste of ink, spread across five columns of the Sports section front page. The other was questioning whether or not the Wolfpack Club should be allowed to benefit from a change in tax law that made the College Inn tax-exempt.

I have no problems with the tax question. The law is the law, and the College Inn either qualifies as tax-exempt or it doesn't.

The larger article, however, reads as a witch hunt, and I think Mr. Vaden takes the easy way out by citing both articles in his justification. The two articles are separate, and should be looked at that way.

There is lots of speculation and innuendo in the article, but no actual numbers that put NCSU anywhere near an NCAA violation. However, the oversight of the facility is questioned repeatedly, and the author seems to want to uncover some sort of wrongdoing on the part of NCSU or the Wolfpack Club.

In closing, Mr. Vaden ran this quote from Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Curliss:

"I view it as part of my responsibility to tell readers what these booster groups are up to."

I'm sure everyone is waiting for the in-depth looks at the Iron Dukes and the Rams Club that must be forthcoming.

I think the article could have been a positive, if the reporter had chosen to point out that owning a money-making business helps the Wolfpack Club have income that is not subject to the whims or its fanbase or the fluctuations of the economy. If the facility is well-maintained and well-managed, it will be a source of income that the Wolfpack Club can rely on, which can help eliminate the need for increased student fees to help with athletic costs.