Trying to avoid the naughty list

Three times. If I’m counting correctly, this has happened three times.

I pulled a blog. The one originally posted Sunday night for today is no more. And that’s why our photo is yours truly with the North Pole’s power couple back in December.

The blog topic will reappear in some fashion soon. Not today.

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Instead, I will blather about how these things happen. Because, I swear on a stack of Cattle Dog coupons, I avoid them at all costs. I never want to post something that gets such a reaction from a subject that causes me to immediately realize my mistake.

This isn’t the first time someone has responded with an angry phone call or text moments after a blog is posted. The difference is these folks usually are quite aware of my thinking on a particular subject, so it’s not a huge surprise.

See, that’s the thing. It’s so easy for me to forget my roots. And I made a vow from the start that no one in the public eye would read something unflattering about themselves in my blog, with one caveat: It’s fair game if the subject matter occurred during a public meeting.

Commissioners say or propose certain things during board meetings, we can talk about that. But if I’m reaching a conclusion without talking with the subject to get his/her take on the matter, and to make sure we both walk away with an understanding — not necessarily an agreement — of the bottom line, I’m doing everyone a disservice.

That’s what happened here. I broke a fundamental Just Wright Citrus principle by not speaking beforehand to the person who believed I was throwing under the bus. I happened to like this person and think very highly of her. That wasn’t my intention at all.

When she pointed out, “You could have at least talked to me about it!” I had nothing to say. She was absolutely correct.

And so, shortly before 9 p.m., I pulled the blog. 

I like to think I get it right every time, but of course, that’s nonsense. Cutting corners, though, that’s just plain irresponsible. It’s the sort of thing that will get me called into the JWC publisher’s office.

I can’t emphasize conversation in the blog and then bypass it to make a point. That’s not fair, and I’ll avoid it if all possible. Some people don’t want to chat, and I’m left with no choice. That wasn't the case in the blog I spiked. I could have reached out for a conversation. I may have reached the same conclusion, but at least we’d both understand one another’s viewpoint.

The smart editors of my Chronicle years encouraged me to be aggressive in my reporting and sensible in my writing. I’d long developed a habit of going well beyond necessary to obtain comment from certain subjects — the ones whose names were going in the Sunday newspaper — as well as making sure the stories gave these subjects ample opportunity to explain their particular predicament.

I carried that same philosophy into the blog, though the writing is much different. From the start, relationships and conversations were key. I did not want to place any individual in poor light unless his/her public actions proved they deserved it.

So, when I write something that inadvertently does the exact opposite of what I’m hoping to accomplish, I’m left with two choices:

— Suck it up and claim I’m right.

— Spike the blog and own up to it. This was a no-brainer. I violated my own code. That isn’t going to fly here.

Like I said, it’s the third time I’ve yanked a blog after it was posted. I mean…I’m not gonna beat myself up about it. But it’s a red flag that I need to pay better attention to what I’m doing around here.

Plus, that photo makes me smile. Breathe, Mike, breathe.

Have a great Monday, friends.

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