Long ago, in a galaxy far away, I was the news editor of a television station in the Shenandoah Valley. I was also the anchor of the two principal news broadcasts, at 6 and 11 pm. One night, while preparing the 11 pm, a story came across the wire: “State Senator Charged With Reckless Driving.”
There were some problems with the story, if what you wanted out of it was a scandal. The senator, not speeding and not impaired, topped a slight rise in the road and was confronted by a horse-drawn carriage plodding along in the lane ahead of him. He made an emergency stop, but not in time to avoid striking the carriage. Damage was slight and no one was hurt, not even the horse.
The other problem, for me, was that the senator was my best friend. Continue reading