Louis Hampers: Media largely ignores indicted doc's warrant for allegedly harassing 9News star
In a Wednesday post about indicted former Children's Hospital ER head Dr. Louis Hampers, we asked if the media treats journalists in the news differently than the average person. The question was prompted a decision by all but one local press outlet not to mention by name 9News reporter Deborah Sherman, who's filed a high-profile harassment lawsuit against Hampers.
Louis Hampers.
Today, we have more evidence to suggest the answer is "yes."
The indictment of Hampers on hundreds of prescription-fraud charges was big local news -- but only the Denver Post mentioned the Sherman connection, which was first reported by Westword's Melanie Asmar in the July feature "When This Physician Gets the Fever, it's the Women He Dates Who Can't Shake the Bug."
The Sherman case isn't directly related to the prescription indictments. However, media outlets commonly share other information about public figures in the news. And in this case, outlets like 9News and the Denver Business Journal chose to refer to the matter obliquely, with no name attached, while other area TV stations made no mention of it whatsoever.
Now, however, there's a significant new development: When Hampers returns to Colorado (he was busted in Virginia), he will face an arrest warrant from the Denver Police Department for allegedly harassing Sherman in addition to the fraud counts.
Worth reporting? The Post obviously thinks so, giving prominent play to a followup piece that namechecks Sherman.
And other information purveyors? A Google News search turns up nothing from 9News, channels 4, 7 and 31, or any other broadcast or print outlet.
Yes, the Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder is huge news in these parts right now, straining the resources of the local press. But given the space and airtime devoted to Hampers' arrest this week, it's tough to see the decision by so many organizations not to tackle the subject as entirely coincidental and absent any collegiality for a fellow journalist.
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