Editorials from across South Carolina: eclipse, nuclear debacle, journalists

A great show

We peered curiously through special glasses, and homemade cereal box viewers covered with aluminum foil. When the eclipse reached totality, we cheered and squealed with delight and clapped wildly.

As the sky began to fade and a shadow fell over the earth we forgot about past grievances and enjoyed the sight with friends and families. When the moon overtakes the sun and darkness comes in the middle of the day, even cynics are star struck. It was biblical — if you believe in such things.…

Years from now we will all remember the day we took selfies and ate moon pies and listened to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” We’ll recall for our children and grandchildren where we were and who we were with when the great eclipse of 2017 passed far above our heads. They may find our stories corny. I guess you had to be there, we will say.

Nuclear fall guy?

Lots of people had a hand in the failure of an effort to build two new nuclear reactors in Fairfield County. Those who bear the greatest responsibility should resign or be removed from positions of authority.

But if anyone deserves to keep his job, it’s Dukes Scott, head of the state Office of Regulatory Staff, a watchdog agency representing the public interest.

In a shameful moment of grandstanding, state Speaker of the House Jay Lucas recommended on Wednesday that Mr. Scott offer his resignation.

“New leadership in my opinion is necessary to assure South Carolina ratepayers that the ORS holds their interests in the highest regard,” Mr. Lucas said after Mr. Scott’s testimony to a House committee investigating the nuclear failure. “I believe this is the first of many steps that must occur to prevent this type of catastrophe from happening again.”

Few people in the state of South Carolina have followed the nearly decade-long effort by SCE&G and project partner Santee Cooper to build two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer site as closely as Mr. Scott and his staff.

Few have so consistently raised the alarm over troubling reports, missed deadlines, spiraling costs and myriad other problems that have plagued that project from the beginning.

Or have been so consistently ignored.

Allies of the people

For a majority of mass media — more specifically, news media — it is time to get aggressive in letting Americans know we are not purveyors of “fake news.” We have no agenda for or against Trump or leaders from the national level to the most local of local. We strive for objectivity in our reporting and let the audience know when we are offering our opinions.

Tim Gallagher is president of The 20/20 Network, a public relations and strategic communications firm.…

He says it’s time for journalism to drop its defensiveness and go on the offensive.

“The popular theory is that ‘the media’ is a black magic cabal whose members meet regularly to shake its secret handshake, ties its socks in inverted knots before tossing them into a bonfire and then decide ‘the liberal media agenda,’” he writes.

That is just not an accurate view — and letting people know it is important.

“Those who have worked inside newsrooms know … most journalists are ethical, independent and are proud of working in an industry that helps strengthen American democracy,” Gallagher writes.

“We are not the enemy of the people. … We need to tell the public just how ethical most journalists are and how they conduct their business without bias.”

He points out that the “antiseptic life” of journalists would shock many Americans. The public should know that journalists cannot:

▪ Take even the slightest bit of information from another writer without properly acknowledging it.

▪ Engage in political activity either by participating in rallies or donating money.

▪ Make an investment based on the information gathered about a company while reporting the news.

▪ Threaten to use the position as a journalist to gain a personal advantage.

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Editorials from across South Carolina: eclipse, nuclear debacle, journalists."