I have been reading your newspaper for a number of years and have never read an article with such irresponsible journalism. This article was subjective and a personal attack on the two police officers.

Instead of directly attacking the two police officers, perhaps the reporter should have been objective and looked at the issues without apparent pride in naming and shaming officers. We are all human and sometimes people get things wrong.

The article is a clear attack on the hard-working men and women of the Bega Police and insulting to them at the very least.

I was also interested to read your online comments. You are always open to readers to express their opinion, however allowing people to slander officers is nothing but disgusting. Do you feel you need to monitor your online comments so not to slander anyone? It must be part and parcel of your fascist reporting.

Your reporting of this article must have concerned you as your staff has to go and remove vexatious comments. I also note some other comments from individuals who are the same people when their life cannot get any lower rely on those who you publicly attacked in this article along with the police officers in this community.

Your reporting on community issues is somewhat of a disgrace. You seem to focus on all things negative and then look to put blame on others.

Your reporting on the Van Ryn investigation is a clear example.

The paedophile has pleaded guilty to a significant number of criminal offences, instead of congratulating the police and Director of Public Prosecutions for what I can read is an outstanding investigation, you have done nothing but put fear into readers who may have thought of approaching police about being sexually assaulted in the past. I doubt they will now have faith in the local police because of your scare tactic reporting.

You should be congratulating those involved and not making them out to be incompetent or appearing to have done nothing.

It is clear from reading your reporting of the Van Ryn investigation that you have been ill-informed. Have you ever asked the police for comment? Your “family representative” obviously has an agenda and the victims in this matter do not appear to be part of their concern.

Your reporting of the South East Regional Hospital is on a similar collision path with negative reporting on community issues. You are all but destroying morale at a very good hospital with hard-working dedicated health professionals.

Reading between the lines that there are obviously personal issues between Dr Phoon and the management, again you are taking sides and getting the community to divide and conquer without getting the whole story.

Where is your coverage of good work done by police and other community members? You only report on issues where you try to discredit those who openly serve this community.

I doubt you will print this in your letters to the editor as this is critical of the newspaper. How about being fair and equitable and leave my letter open to the public opinion like you do for every other article you print.

Editor’s note: Thanks for the feedback Harold. A couple of points in response: Our article was a straight, non-subjective report of a public court hearing; the family representative most assuredly has their own offspring central to their concern in the Van Ryn matter; and we don’t take sides in the Dr Phoon issue, simply report on the voices speaking up and community sentiment, all the while seeking out the whole story. 

To paraphrase a better writer than me, I don’t agree with what you have to say here, but I will defend your right to say it.