IN THIS SSUE S W Newspaper Editors

1 Volume 25, No. 2. IN this ISSUE. February/March 2000. International The Viva Las Vegas ..Pages 4-5. Now, Just a Minute, the so-called thinking man's column on journalism ..Page 5. Society Weekly How to pronounce '00 has international implications ..Page 6. We need hometown icons instead of those like Clark 7. of Newspaper 8-10, 15-19. Procedure for 2000 ISWNE Editorial 11. ISWNE New 20-22. Editors The Los Angeles Sessions ..Pages 12-14, 22. Visit the ISWNE's Web site: Published by the Department of Communications, Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, MO. Truth Seekers ISWNE member Goodloe Sutton, publisher of The Democrat-Reporter in Linden, Ala., is featured in a 25-page article in the February issue of Reader's Digest.

2 Itled Justice in Marengo T county , the article begins: Exposing corruption in a very small town can be dangerous, The greatest especially when the source of it is the popular local sheriff . satisfaction One crusading editor and his wife found this out the hard way when is that as a they were abandoned by friends and neighbors, harassed with Newspaper death threats and seemingly ignored by law enforcement we did all we Justice agencies. Yet Goodloe and Jean Sutton would not give up. The could, and the day of reckoning, they were certain, would come. The question authorities was: would they and their family in Marengo be alive to see it? took it the county ' The story begins in 1991, when Marengo county elected an Alabama state trooper named rest of Reader's Digest photo Roger Davis as sheriff .

3 Although the way. Davis seemed to crack down Goodloe & Jean Sutton on crime and drugs, the Suttons were tipped off that he was using continued on page 2. The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Truth Seekers Who's Who continued from page 1. the county 's drug enforcement fund a special agent from the Alabama to buy personal items. On several attorney general's office. In the occasions, The Democrat-Reporter meantime, the sheriff and two of reported that Davis was ordered by his deputies were busy extorting The people behind the story the state to repay the drug fund. money from a drug dealer and The Suttons began asking the a bail-bonding business in Marengo Alabama attorney general and the county .

4 To further increase Alabama Ethics their take, they Commission to eventually Roger investigate, but decided to become Davis their pleas seemed The people of Linden marijuana to fall on deaf ears. suppliers. When Marengo The people of turned on the Suttons a deputy paid county sheriff , $8,000 to an former Alabama Linden turned on the Suttons as as well, threatening undercover state state patrol agent in May 1997. well, threatening officer violence against the violence against the for 10 pounds of marijuana, the couple and their two sons if they couple and their game was up. continued their sheriff Davis was negative, biased, two sons if they arrested soon after Jesse and slanted for accepting Langley reporting.

5 At the continued their $975 from the same time, The bail bondsman, Marengo county Democrat-Reporter negative, biased, and sentenced to was losing about 27 months in deputy & local $1,000 each week slanted reporting. prison, and in advertising ordered to pay hero revenues. Much to $43,000 in fines, the paper's dismay, back taxes, and the embattled Davis was reelected restitution. The county 's chief drug in 1994. The threats picked up, enforcement officer was sentenced George including one from Davis' chief to life in federal prison without Barrows drug enforcement officer to plant parole. drugs in the Suttons' house and special agent office. The greatest satisfaction is that as with the a Newspaper we did all we could, Alabama The Democrat-Reporter received and the authorities took it the rest attorney a shot in the arm when a deputy of the way, Reader's Digest quotes general's sheriff began meeting secretly with Sutton as saying.

6 Office About Goodloe Sutton, 61, received a in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1963 and E. T. Goodloe became editor and publisher of The Democrat-Reporter in Linden, Ala., a year later. He married Jean Rodgers of Rolinson Veteran Sutton Jackson, Miss., on Aug. 8, 1964. Goodloe received the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment criminal Award in 1998 for his expose of Marengo county sheriff prosecutor Roger Davis and the corruption in his department. He was in the featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show on July 30, 1998, and Attorney's NBC's Dateline on May 16, 1999. office Goodloe is writing a book about his Newspaper 's investigation into the corruption of the sheriff 's department.

7 A draft is in the hands of five literary agents. The Suttons have two sons, Goodloe Jr., 28, and William, 15. 2 February/March 2000. Q. The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Q What kind of a response did you receive from the article in Reader's Digest? A. The first call was in mid-January from Modesto, Calif. A woman could not believe what we have with &A. endured. The next day, one from Goodloe Denver; third day, Salt Lake City;. then three or four a day every day and night 30 minutes to 90. Sutton minutes per call; plus about a hundred letters and other forms of correspondence; plus, thousands of compliments from local people, other publishers, and Editors at the Alabama Press winter convention; and heaven only knows what is next.

8 The calls and letters ranged from lavish compliments to pleas for help, and even one or two were from people who had read the New York Times story in June 1998 and had written for help then they said we inspired them to stick with their cause, believe in help from God, and used some of my family, but police randomly problem. There are no dollars the techniques of investigative patrol our street once or twice in hand, yet. reporting, and persevered in every hour to show presence pleading with state and federal and thereby deter any ideas Davis officials to intervene. I didn't know we had done that, but I. guess we had. We simply tried to do our best as journalists, giving may have.

9 He has gone back to Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and stood up and announced, I have been accused Q Is there anything else you'd like to tell your fellow ISWNE members? A. our readers the facts. Then, we of a lot of things, but I didn't do My experiences with had to take action as responsible any of them. each of you has been citizens to protect the people of most rewarding and I. this county , and yes, to protect have learned a lot. If any of you Q. our own lives. has a really bad pun-y joke I can Are there any plans to get on Dick McCord, please send it make a move or TV movie Q. to me. He told me the one about based on your story? the Moron Tab and Apple Choir'.

10 What is the latest on A. In 1999, my attorney in 1998 and I haven't gotten over sheriff Davis? advised me not to accept that yet. Also, tell Dick McCord A. sheriff Davis is back at his $300,000 for the movie to call Bob Martin at the home in the rural section rights because there was no clause Montgomery Independent in of southeastern Marengo in the contract to pay us a small Montgomery, Ala. Gannett county . He may face more percentage of the gross revenue bought the capital city daily charges soon; however, he each year in the future. (One of and Martin is edgy. Finally, the apparently is planning to get the children in The Sound of sheriff 's offer to burn our home back into the drug business, and Music got $38 last year for with us in it has been met by a the FBI, DEA, ABI, and attorney royalties while the maker received force greater than me, and He has general all know this , but they millions.)