As journalists, we often find ourselves in the middle squabbles, skirmishes or debates. We sort through fact and fiction, tell both sides of the story and ultimately let you the viewer decide.

So it was recently, when I reported on the feuding inside Ferndale City Hall. Mayor Jerry Landcastle riled some on the council, when he angrily confronted a newspaper reporter who called him at home. He swore at the reporter and the City Council decided to censure Landcastle.

A few weeks later, Landcastle drew more criticism when he fired outgoing Planning Director, Tom Black. In a resignation letter, written just days before he was fired, Black blasted Landcastle's management style. According to Landcastle, Black indicated the letter was given to only him. Actually, the letter had been given all the City Council. Feeling he had been lied to, Landcastle terminated Black just days shy of his resignation.

Once again, some Council members were upset.

One of the more vocal, was Councilor Keith Olson. In an interview with KING 5, Olson described Landcastle's management style as "tyrannical." After the story aired, Landcastle tried to get the Council to censure Olson for his comments. In his defense, Olson told a Bellingham newspaper that KING 5 had taken what he said out of context. He claimed we had edited what he said down to a "convenient sound bite."

Further he claimed my question to him that ellicited his response was, "what would happen if the allegations against Landcastle regarding Black’s letter are true."

Olson said his response was, "If they are found to be true after an investigation by an independent third party, then he’s like a tyrant. It’s his way or the highway."

After reading Olson's comments, we pulled the raw tape of our interview with him. It is now posted here on KING5.com, unedited as we shot it.

The tape tells a very different tale.

1 Comments

Jennifer Bundy said:

This is in reference to your 7/9/2007 story about raccoons. Apparently your source for this story is a "pest trapper" who claims that we've had a population explosion among raccoons as a result of the anti-trapping initiative Washington voters passed (by a generous margin) several years ago. Is this guy a wildlife biologist? some kind of expert about wild animals? No. Let's ask another question. Does he have a vested interest in badmouthing that initiative? Uh -- yes! Does he make money from trapping? Another yes! You've received an Edward R. Murrow award, Mr. Piercy, according to your bio. How is it possible you are making such a basic and obvious mistake as to use this guy as your sole source for this story?

July 11, 2007 2:10 PM

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