Is a news outlet obligated to report news that hurts the community? Your Dec. 5 article "Kids' SSNs on school postcards" detailed the Wake County Public School System's gaffe in mailing postcards with students' Social Security numbers on the front.
We received one of these postcards. Until this story, we did not know our child's Social Security number was on the card - without dashes, the number looks like an innocuous internal code.
Now we, along with many others know what the card contains.
Did the paper consider that had the story not run, but instead the school system had quietly notified the card recipients of the gaffe, that WCPSS might not now have to spend an estimated $95,000 purchasing free credit reports for recipients? Did The N&O consider waiting on this story until the school system had a chance to notify recipients?
I acknowledge the taxpayer-supported school system should be as transparent as possible. However, was a greater good truly served by running this story now?
John Gordon
Raleigh
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Regarding your Feb. 3 article "Feral felines spared; future policy unclear"), it seems that advocates of trap, neuter and release are placing the welfare of feral cats above other animals, particularly wildlife. Keep up with the latest opinions from the News & Observer, delivered straight to your inbox, for free!
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