(Editor’s note: The Readers’ Advocate’s role is to address the concerns of readers on a variety of matters, including the fairness of stories; what The Item covers and how; stories that may have been missed; and the emphasis put on certain stories but perhaps not on others. It is written by Jo Sullivan, a retired educator who is not a member of The Item staff and is not being paid. These commentaries appear periodically, on no set schedule.)
The Item’s coverage of racism and issues of equity locally have been ongoing and varied. There have been news articles, opinion pieces and editorials, including front-page pieces about activities, concerns and issues.
News articles covered planned events, such as the new Massachusetts Juneteenth holiday celebrating the official ending of slavery in the United States, as well as incidents of hate and community reactions.
One prominent thread has been the coverage of the yearlong effort to paint a Black Lives Matter mural on the streets of Lynn, since its proposal in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
News articles highlighted the two high school students — Carlos Prudencio and Damianny Garrido — who initiated the idea, covering their plans, presentations and roadblocks.
Articles included the support they received from numerous local organizations, thousands of petition signers and local leaders, including Ward 6 City Councilor Fred Hogan, Lynn Mayor Thomas M. McGee and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton. The young people were persistent and I appreciated that the Item news coverage was continuous throughout this process.
After a year of resistance from some at City Hall and detailed planning, the mural was finally approved unanimously by the City Council, culminating with an all-day installation on July 24. The front-page layout in the July 26 paper with the beautiful aerial photo of the mural on Essex Street was striking.
It was heartbreaking to read of the racist reactions to Lynn’s candidates of color. On July 13, The Item interviewed Lynn candidates who experienced racist incidents while campaigning in the city, prompting mayoral candidate Keith Lee to drop out of the race.
Coverage has been regional and wide-ranging because, sadly, racist incidents and community responses have occurred around the North Shore. Anti-Semitic graffiti appeared in the town of Lynnfield (“Lynnfield reacts to anti-semitism”…”Lynnfield outraged by anti-semitic vandalism”) and community members gathered to show support for their neighbors. In Salem, police officers were able to catch and arrest two vandals who were painting white supremacist graffiti in the city.
Item articles noted that Salem, in response to the events of 2020, issued a report by a race equity task force in July, recommending, among other things, the creation of a permanent racial equity commission and the creation of a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) position.
Lynn had established a similar position (May 13, 2021). Newly-appointed Lynn DEI officer Faustina Cuevas was interviewed May 20, 2021.
Numerous Item editorials addressed racism: “We must stop anti-semitism” (June 16, 2021), and “Starting a conversation in Lynnfield,” (June 18, 2021), and, in response to a group of Lynnfield residents objecting to a town equity audit, “Let’s keep talking about race,” (July 23, 2021).
A Steve Krause column tackled the challenges of fighting racism, “There’s still a long way to go,” (June 21, 2021).
Even the choice of a photo can make an editorial statement. Accompanying a news article about an activist entering the race for governor (Aug. 4, 2021) was a photo of a person in blackface who carried a sign that included a vile racist slur. The photo was published inside the Aug. 4 edition, on page A7.
My initial reaction was mixed, because saying or writing out this word is a taboo for me. I was shocked to see it. I assumed the paper would receive much criticism. After thinking about it, I decided it was shocking, important — and brave — to show what kind of supporters this candidate has. It was helpful to see Item publisher Ted Grant’s explanation of why this photo ran, “A reflection of hatred and why we ran it,” prominently placed on the Aug. 7 Item’s front page.
This reader and others appreciate the number of feel-good, positive local stories, many in June and July this year, especially June 25 with 12 positive local stories. During June Pride Month, there were eight articles celebrating LGBTQ+ events.
A recent news article, however, on the former Lynn police officer who beat Victor White, a Black man, in a jail cell last summer was concerning.
Why was the story about Matthew Coppinger’s plea deal (“Former Lynn police officer OKs plea agreement,” July 29, 2021) relegated to page five?
The same news was reported differently in The Boston Globe, “Former Lynn officer admits beating man in police station holding cell, will likely avoid jail time,” (July 27, 2021) by Thomas Grillo, a former Item reporter.
The Globe included information on Coppinger’s relation to former Lynn police chief and current Essex County Sheriff, Kevin Coppinger. Item readers were not reminded of this background, nor of the details of the charges, which were later dismissed.
The Item reported Coppinger’s lawyer saying his client “is accepting responsibility for his actions and is moving forward.” On the other hand, the Globe quoted Matthew Coppinger when he resigned last year after an investigation was initiated: “He said Lynn police ‘needed a scapegoat given the environment around policing.’” In addition, the Globe included a chilling three-minute video of the beating.
Granted, Globe readers would not be familiar with the original story of the arrest and beating, but a local, North Shore story should have included more relevant information.
We still need to know the painful and negative news, as we learned with the powerful photo of the man in blackface holding the offensive sign.
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