WELCOME to the debut of “The Truth Is!”, a blog of reporting and commentary that aims to be informative, thoughtful and provocative. At least initially, the blog will have a strong heartland flavor by virtue of the connection of a number of us to Cowles family journalism. I am former editor of the Des Moines Register’s opinion pages. Another contributor, Michael Gartner, is former editor of the paper; he later served as president of NBC News. Another former Register editor who has agreed to contribute, Geneva Overholser, is director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg school of journalism. Followers of the blog will have access also to the work of Herbert Strentz of Des Moines, a close Register and other newspaper watcher who once headed Drake University’s journalism school. Bill Leonard, a longtime Register editorial writer, will add insights.

“The Truth Is!” will be supervised by my daughter, Marcia Wolff, a communications lawyer for 20 years with Arnold and Porter (Washington, D.C.). Invaluable technical assistance in assembling and maintaining the blog is provided by my grandsons Julian Cranberg, a college first-year, and Daniel Wolff, a high school senior.

If you detect a whiff of nepotism in this operation, so be it. All of it is strictly a labor of love. —Gil Cranberg

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Gilbert Cranberg: WANTED: A WAR ON PIMPS

Sarasota, FL is a city of 32,000 with eye-catching architecture, award-winning beaches and a rich cultural life. Into this idyllic picture on Oct. 13 intruded a 44-page advertising-free special section of the local paper, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (daily circulation 118,000; Sunday 134,000), to tell a scuzzy story of life in Sarasota few Sarasotans knew existed.

The section, “The Stolen Ones,” was an often sordid account of how young women, children really, become trapped in lives of degradation as they are sold for sex. The centerpiece of the feature is Moe, whose downfall began with her rape by her stepfather when she was younger than 10. From there, she fell into a life of prostitution and drugs. There are references to pimps in this deeply reported account, but not enough. Pimps are the true villains of the sex trade, cunning psychologists who know how to prey on the insecurities of young women and, ultimately, to enslave them.

Admittedly, getting pimps to speak on the record would be difficult. Even so, I wish the Sarasota paper had turned a stronger, more piercing, spotlight on these key actors in the downfall of too many young women.  “The Stolen Ones” refers to an Eric Bell of nearby Bradenton, includes his photo and describes him as a pimp who “lured underage girls from bus stops and forced them into prostitution.” Bell ended up in prison, but how many more Bells are still prowling the streets of Bradenton and Sarasota? Police ought to have a good handle on the pimps in their towns, and the press ought to identify them, complete with addresses and where they hang out.

Libel suits you say? I say not. Pimps are libel proof. They are among the lowest forms of human life, and thus have no reputations that can be damaged. The press can afford to be fearless in uncovering and reporting the identities of pimps in their communities, complete with their photos.

It would be a real public service for news organizations to post “Not Wanted” photos of known pimps in their circulation areas, explaining the harm they cause and urging their removal in the interests of creating a “Pimp-Free” town.

No comments: