DeBerry Story Origins

As I noted in the original post and in its follow-up, one of the unreported elements of the Representataive Lois DeBerry story was where or how the Commercial Appeal first got wind of it. It's as though the story magically dropped into their newsroom and they then called her to confirm it. There was a missing step in the chain of events.

It caught my curiousity enough that I called the first reporter, Mark Perrusquia, to ask. He wouldn't say, and politely but firmly pointed me to his Managing Editor, Otis Sanford.

Mr Sanford was also very polite in drawing the curtain over this. He did say it was uncovered "through good investigative reporting." When I asked if I could characterise it "work by the Commercial Appeal uncovered it," he agreed.

None of which truly answers anything, but it brings us one step closer. If forced to guess -- based on the fact that the paper printed an editorial the very next day when usually it takes a couple of days for them to respond -- they had time to work this story. Notice that House Speaker Naifeh had time to get the House legal office to issue a ruling. That would indicate they didn't feel pressure to race to be first with the story. Either they did get a copy of Barry Schmittou's complaint to the State, or they had a tipster.

But who really knows? Unless this story goes further, I guess we'll never know.

On a related note, it was a surprise to me that Perrusquia immediately recognised me as Half-Bakered, the blogger, when I gave him my real name. Sanford said he'd heard of the blog, but hadn't read it. Either way, wow.

Welcome Commercial Appeal employees!