If the News & Record were a reputable business, the publisher would call state Sen. Trudy Wade and apologize. But the N&R is not reputable. It doesn’t correct its mistakes and has shown little regard for common decency or the truth.
Even in today’s world, when someone has had a tragedy in their life, like the death of a family member, you allow them some time to grieve and to get back into the swing of things – even if you disagree with their political positions.
Saturday, April 8, Sen. Wade’s father, Joseph Herman Wade, died. On Thursday, April 13, News & Record reporter Kate Queram attacked Wade in an article in the News & Record and made light of the fact that Wade was not in her office in Raleigh on Tuesday, April 11.
According to Queram, Wade was not in her office on Tuesday, April 11 for an appointment with some High Point University students. The implication was that she was purposefully avoiding the scheduled meeting with the students. But Wade’s father’s funeral was Tuesday, April 11. Even in the rough and tumble world of politics, it is understandable by most for someone not to be in their office on the day of their father’s funeral.
But Queram not only attacked Wade, she attacked Wade with lies. The article states that a couple of High Point University students had an appointment with Wade on Tuesday, April 11. That is not true.
Queram could have found out it wasn’t true if she had bothered to ask at Wade’s office. Bob Mays, who is Wade’s legislative assistant, said that it is the policy of the office not to make many appointments during the legislative session because the schedule of meetings and committees changes so often.
Mays said that Wade only had one scheduled appointment that day and it wasn’t with the students. He said the students didn’t have an appointment but, when they called, were told they were welcome to come by and see if Wade could meet with them. The students might not realize that “come by any time” is not an appointment, but Queram should.
Queram also said that there was a sign on Wade’s office door in Raleigh that said she would be out for two weeks because of her father’s death. That isn’t true either.
The sign said that the senator was out because of her father’s funeral and would be back on Wednesday, April 19. With a little research, Queram would have discovered that the legislature was taking its Easter break and wouldn’t be in session again until April 19. Wade wasn’t the only elected official who wouldn’t be in Raleigh over the Easter break; most of the legislators would be gone, spending time with their families and their constituents. This is a normal part of the legislative session.
It is also worth noting that from April 11 to April 19 is not two weeks.
Queram didn’t do her job as a reporter in checking for the facts before she wrote the article. And she didn’t do her job as a human being and instead attacked someone because she wasn’t in her office for students to drop by on the day of her father’s funeral.
The attack on Wade didn’t add anything of note to the story, but the opportunity presented itself, and considering the News & Record’s enmity toward Wade, it’s not surprising the paper printed it to try and make Wade look bad.
It’s sad to see Greensboro’s only daily newspaper stoop to such a level. Truth is important, but so is common decency, and sadly the News & Record has proven that it no longer has either.
