TO THE EDITOR:
A recent Daily Tar Heel editorial about me exemplifies the very sensationalism and unethical journalism that have motivated me to make a documentary film titled “Unverified.” Hiding behind the anonymity of the editorial board, the writer(s) have flagrantly mischaracterized the purpose of the film and my motivation for making it.
The entire editorial is based on the false premise that my blog and my film are attempts to deny any wrongdoing took place related to the infamous paper classes. In the first sentence, the editorial alleges the film is “dedicated to proving that UNC’s athletic-academic scandal was imagined by headline-hungry journalists.” Contrast that to my own words in the video for the film’s Kickstarter: “The true story isn’t entirely pretty. Some of the facts will be embarrassing for the University. But it is a story much different from the media’s sensationalized narrative.”
Throughout my public contributions to the debate over the paper classes, I have acknowledged that UNC made mistakes and needed to implement reform. That the editorial board would propagate clearly false allegations to the contrary is troubling.
My film is underscored by my concern over the disparity between journalism as it should be and journalism as it is. In ironic fashion, the DTH editorial board has confirmed that the need for such a film is pressing.
Bradley Bethel
Chapel Hill
