Article Title: Media Magazine Drops Story on Dispute Between Times Argus and Freelance Writer

Edition: July 2000
Category: General Interest
Author: Jake Brown
Article:

Brills Content, the New York-based national media watchdog magazine that had been researching a piece about possible conflict-of-interest at the Barre Montpelier Times Argus, has all but killed its story.

The Brills story stemmed from suggestions made last year by Richmond-based freelance journalist Terry Allen - who had been let go from the Times Argus - that the papers owner and publisher, John Mitchell, might have influenced a newsroom decision not to publish a negative news story Allen wrote about Norwich University. While Allen noted that Mitchell was closely allied to the university and suggested there might have been a link, she stressed repeatedly that she had no direct proof.

The Brills story on the conflict was to appear this spring.

The editor of the piece at Brills, Ed Shanahan, said recently that as the Brills reporter dug into the story, it appeared it "was not necessarily the story that Terry Allen had said it was."

"There was no cut-and-dried evil publisher/avenging reporter kind of thing," Shanahan said. The story has not been actually killed yet, but he said he was "not optimistic it would ever see the light of day."

Shanahan said the story did develop into a tale about the roles of newspaper reporter and newspaper management. "It was a good story about the nuts and bolts of journalism," he said. "It wasnt what we thought it was at first blush."

Allen, who says she is now writing more steadily for the Boston Globe, said she is glad to have the issue behind her.

Brills spent hours interviewing Allen and others involved in the issue, and sent photographers to do lengthy photo shoots of Allen, she said.

"I did my job well, and it seemed unjust, arbitrary and shocking" to be let go, but Allen said she has affection for the Sunday staff at the Times Argus. "I wish the good reporters and good editors at the Times Argus well," she said.

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