From the editor’s desk: Coverage of Asante case has been some of the Times’ most important

Published 3:15 am Saturday, June 22, 2024

When a big story breaks in your community, several things immediately come to mind for editors and reporters.

First, you assess the gravity of the story, its impact in the short and long term, but more important, you start making decisions right away that shape how your initial coverage will pave the way for future stories that put things into context as new developments arise.

Such is the case with the arrest of former Asante nurse Dani Marie Schofield last Thursday.

As the news broke, Times reporter Buffy Pollock was already in contact with sources in local law enforcement and at the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. Her tireless work on this developing story since it broke in December 2023 has afforded her critical access to key sources, including local law firms who have taken up cases tied to the alleged drug diversion and family members of alleged victims. Buffy has interviewed countless people who are tied to this story, and we have had the most comprehensive and thoughtful coverage of any news organization in the state.

Buffy also was there Friday with Times photographer Jamie Lusch to capture the scene as Schofield left the Jackson County Jail after posting $400,000 bond on bail that was set at $4.4 million. Schofield offered no comment before she got into a vehicle and left downtown Medford. 

What we have to be clear about in this case, this effort on the part of the Times to report on a story that has acute public interest, is that we never got ahead of ourselves, and we never will.

There is conjecture, rumor, and then there are the facts. The Times’ editors and Buffy have always put a premium on not getting things out first, but getting them right. Facts are critical in a case like this when so much is on the line.

We’ve heard from our local sources that the work we’ve done, either through Buffy’s reporting or through editorials we’ve staked out on our Opinion page, has always been above-board, never salacious, and it’s provided a running narrative on a case that is only now moving into the court system.

Nothing will change in our approach to this important story, and Times readers can expect us to provide factual reporting, plus insight into the plight of the alleged victims and their families.

It’s responsible community journalism. That’s our stated mission.

Staff changes

It’s very important to note here that we survive as a local news operation through our subscribers, single-copy print edition sales, and most important, our advertisers. We have taken a recent hit through budget cuts that not only affected the Rogue Valley but also the entire EO Media Group chain in Oregon and southwest Washington state. All EOMG properties will now be operating with leaner staffs, so it’s imperative that we have the community’s support to continue doing what we do best — providing immediate, contextual news, sports, entertainment and opinion coverage that keeps an important local news source thriving.

We can do our part because we are built to do it daily, even in the face of challenges.

We simply ask that you do your part by supporting your local news operation, through a subscription or signing up to advertise in the Times, either online, in print or preferably both. 

Reach out to our advertising staff at sales@rv-times.com. If you haven’t subscribed to the Times, which can include digital-only or a print edition/digital subscription, we invite you to sign up at http://rv-times.com/subscribe or by calling us at 800-781-3214.

— Troy Heie, editor