Nikolai Mather: Alright, Sarah, let's get into this Facebook video. Sheriff Rogers appears to be responding to a WECT interview with Charles Manning, who told WECT and WHQR that he was subject to a violent arrest earlier this month. What was your first thought watching this video?
Sarah Nagem: Well, the Columbus County Sheriff's Office has been under scrutiny for years now, since former Sheriff Jody Greene resigned and a federal investigation began regarding his term as sheriff. There has been coverage that I think the sheriff's office might see as negative.
You know, the video, I think, sounded to me like some frustration manifesting itself, right? In many parts of rural North Carolina, there is skepticism about the media and journalism, and I think we're seeing that in this video.
NM: Yeah, totally.
I guess one piece of context I think listeners should take note of is the final paragraph in my original story. I wrote that CCSO hadn't responded to multiple requests for comment. And they hadn't. Now, since publication, they've responded to my questions, but not answered them. For example, I asked spokesperson Jenna Jalving if Lieutenant Donald Britt had taken part in the arrests of Deon Taplin and Charles Manning, and whether CCSO had used force against Manning. She responded by saying Britt had "encountered thousands of individuals and completed hundreds of arrests."
Anyways. It looks like it's the same deal for WECT. In a story on Rogers' response, WECT wrote that despite multiple attempts to contact Sheriff Rogers, the sheriff never responded.
Sarah, how often does CCSO get back to your media requests?
SN: So I think it's important to note that the Border Belt Independent – which is now part of the Assembly network, so – together, the BBI and the Assembly are suing the sheriff's office for failing to produce numerous records requests dating back to 2022, when Jody Greene first resigned. So we've definitely had some difficulty with them not responding to public records requests.
I will say more recently that the sheriff's office has become more responsive. But one of my reporters did reach out not too long ago for a story, and the spokesperson said that Sheriff Rogers is not going to talk to the Border Belt Independent. So, you know, it makes things tough, it makes coverage tough, but that's where we are right now.
NM: Wow. Not speaking to y'all at all is crazy.
And it seems to be part of a trend for a lot of law enforcement agencies. There are some departments where you can just call up the spokesperson and be like, "what can you tell me about this?" New Hanover County is one of those places – Sheriff Ed McMahon is usually pretty straight with us here at WHQR. But there are some that outright refuse to talk to journalists.
So my question for you, Sarah, is when an office refuses to grant Border Belt Independent an interview or even answer y'all's questions, how do you build and vet your stories?
SN: Well, that's where public records often come in. Stories can often be told through public records. And like I said, we're still waiting on lots of public records requests. It's hard when officials won't talk to the media, and it's important to note, too, that when public officials refuse to talk to the media, what they're essentially doing is refusing to talk to their constituents, right? We represent the people, the people of Columbus County. So it's really unfortunate.
NM: That's absolutely correct. Like at the end of the day, Sheriff Rogers is still a politician, which means, like every politician, he has a duty to be transparent with his constituents. Maybe he sees this Facebook video as being transparent, but… I don't know, if you don't talk to newspapers, if you don't talk to radio or TV, if your only response is on a very inflammatory Facebook post where the comments are turned off, then where exactly can constituents get answers?
I don't know, what do you think?
SN: Yeah, we could certainly debate the best way for law enforcement to respond when something like this happens. You know, Columbus County is very small. It does not have the resources that, say, New Hanover County has, right? That being said, officials owe it to the people of Columbus County to be open and straightforward. It's frustrating to people when that doesn't happen.
NM: That was Sarah Nagem with the Border Belt Independent. Sarah, thanks for joining us.
SN: Thank you.
Read more:
- BBI: Why we’re suing Columbus County
- WHQR: Video shows Columbus County deputies making another forceful arrest
- WHQR: Columbus County Sheriff responds to video of violent arrest in Chadbourn
- WHQR: Columbus County deputy involved in Taplin case previously resigned over assault charges
- WECT: Son catches dad’s arrest on camera in second violent incident in Columbus County this month
- WECT: Columbus County Sheriff responds to claims made about arrest seen on video
