Letters to the Editors

Media's hands are dirty in death of Harry Lee Coe

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 15, 2000

I personally feel that the media have dirty hands in the apparent suicide of State Attorney Harry Lee Coe III. They have dogged him for years, and it has come to this end. He was due to run for re-election in November. Couldn't he have been voted out then, if that is what the public decided?

This is such a tragedy. So what if he borrowed from friends -- they didn't mind, and it isn't anyone's business. He wasn't hurting anyone else, nor was he using state funds for his private dealings. God knows, he isn't the only state official who gambles. I am quite sure of that!
-- Cindy Clark, Clearwater

Responsibility can't be avoided

Kudos once again to you jackals of the media, especially those squatting in the newsroom of the St. Petersburg Times. Your perfect "investigative reporters" have once again taken on an imperfect public servant, this time with tragic results. Perhaps the editorial lines in your rag on July 14 will somehow serve to lessen the pain felt by Mr. Coe's family, although I doubt it. What you people cannot ever do is take away from your responsibility for this man's death, no matter the amount of ink you splash about.

Your talking-head brothers and sisters in the visual media have had a great time, nattering on about this senseless death and will do so for days to come. Then, something else will come along to tickle your collective fancy, and this matter will be forgotten.

All of you are without shame.
-- David C. Cumming, Clearwater

Coe didn't deserve media treatment

I think it was shameful for WFLA-Ch. 8 (and Media General) to pursue Harry Lee Coe as relentlessly as they did this week. Reporter Steve Andrews saw this as his "claim to fame" to expose Harry Coe as a corrupt politician. I never knew Harry Lee Coe personally, but I am still saddened that he chose to take his own life as a result of these allegations.

I find it particularly odd that Steve Andrews and his photographer were the ones to find his body. Did Mr. Coe see Channel 8's van pull in to his apartment complex and in a desperate moment, decide that enough is enough and end his own life?

I watched this news event again in the evening and was sickened that Channel 8 memorialized Harry Lee Coe as a long-time public servant after continuously seeking to humiliate and destroy him for the past three days. Regardless of Harry Lee Coe's guilt or innocence in his actions, I feel that he did not deserve the treatment he received from the media.
-- Robert A. Mendenhall, Tampa

Media went beyond reporting news

Certainly, Steve Andrews and the news team at WFLA-Ch. 8 should be proud of the job they have done. The St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune should be proud as well.

There is something inherently wrong with a society, free though it may be, when decent and loyal public officials are continuously hounded for a "news story" over mere allegations and innuendos. So what if Harry Coe withdrew money from ATMs near dog tracks? So what if Harry Coe liked to frequent gaming establishments? So what if Harry Coe needed to occasionally borrow money from friends? Are these crimes? No. Is this reporting the news? No.
-- Larry Geiger, St. Petersburg

Decency and respect were missing

Re: Why would he do it?, July 14.

Your banner headline concerning Harry Lee Coe's apparent suicide asks a good question. Why would he do it? Could it have been a disease? Or could it have been the result of the media's relentless pursuit of the public's right to know about a public figure's affairs using shameless tactics without regard for that individual's right to privacy? Even in death, the Times showed no respect for the man's right to privacy by using a photo of him with a sheet draped over his body.

Yes, the public has a right to know, especially when a public figure is involved. But that right to know should be balanced with a sense of decency and respect for the privacy of the individual. Shame on you, St. Petersburg Times, and shame on all of us for accepting such sensationalism and disrespect as you have displayed.
-- Bill Clark, Hudson

We already know the answer

Re: Why would he do it?

I cannot believe you would use this as a headline! After years of abuse by the local media, including the Times, we all know why he did it. He was driven to it by the unfair treatment he received from the media.

Harry Lee Coe served his community well for years and deserved some respect for that. Playing up these allegations of wrongdoing over something that is legal is wrong itself. Borrowing money from friends is legal. Betting on dogs is legal. The media need to look in the mirror over this and decide if a story this weak was worth this good man's life.

Freedom of the press is a right that comes with many responsibilities. The consequences of your actions should be thought of first. I believe this story served no purpose except to sell papers and boost ratings for the TV stations. I hope you all sleep well tonight because I know if I were you, I would not.
-- Wayne Schwedler, Kenneth City

Photo was inappropriate

It is debatable whether Harry Lee Coe III was hounded to death by the press, but one thing that is beyond debate is the tasteless and grotesque color photograph of Mr. Coe's body featured on the front page of Friday morning's paper.

Harry Lee Coe apparently could not face the humiliation and exposure that he brought upon himself by his reckless private life, but the St. Petersburg Times didn't need to degrade him further. In stark contrast, note the front-page photo featured in the Tampa Tribune the same morning showing mourners at the scene, not the body itself.

The St. Petersburg Times has slowly been slipping into tabloid journalism for quite some time now. Any more of this gratuitous sensationalism and I may as well cancel my 15-year-old subscription and start buying the National Enquirer at the supermarket checkout counter. At least that way, I'll get more sleaze for my dollar.
-- Carol Hewett, Palm Harbor

Taking a tabloid turn

I am writing to express my dismay that the St. Petersburg Times would choose to display such a disturbing photograph on the front page of Friday's paper. I am referring to the photograph accompanying the story on the death of State Attorney Harry Lee Coe.

I can only imagine the distaste felt by his family and friends when picking up the newspaper and seeing such a photo. Since when did the Times become a tabloid?

The whole of Tampa is reeling from the shock of the tragic end to the life of a fine man. I will always remember how kind and supportive he was of everyone.
-- Valerie Adams, Tampa

The consequences of insensitivity

I do not blame news investigations for the apparent suicide of State Attorney Harry Lee Coe Coe.

However, it is the kind of insensitivity and sensationalism often exhibited by the press, as exemplified by your front page picture of Judge Coe's covered body, that probably leads many to blame the press for this kind of senseless act.
-- Rick Stutzel, Safety Harbor

A tragic end

Re: A tragic death, editorial, July 14.

As a friend, colleague and fellow law student of Harry Lee Coe, I concur with the Times that his death is tragic.

Having known Harry for more than 42 years, I believe his death was definitely out of character for him, and I wholeheartedly agree with the Times when it says that "what makes the tragedy worse is that, for all the people he touched, no one was close enough to Coe at the end to help."

In Harry's own words to me, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
-- Russell Lee Johnson, St. Petersburg

We need media watchdogs

Already the media are being blamed for the reporting on State Attorney Harry Lee Coe's activities while in office. If it was not for the media, most citizens would not even be aware of possible wrongdoing by elected officials.

I, for one, stand up for the media in reporting on the possible misconduct of the state attorney, of Public Defender Julianne Holt and of state Rep. Willie Logan. When these people choose to run for public office, they are very much aware that they open themselves to media reporting. I personally thank the media for being watchdogs and putting attention on our elected officials.
-- Ron Mobley, Safety Harbor

Press has a responsibility

I was just reading in the newspapers about the people who are calling the newsrooms and demonstrating around the city blaming the press for the death of Harry Lee Coe III. How absurd is that?

I agree that Mr. Coe's death is tragic and unfortunate. However, it is the press' responsibility to keep the people informed. Part of this process includes holding public officials accountable for their actions to their constituents, the taxpayers.

If people in public service are going to do things, either in their public or private lives, that they would not want the media to report, then they need to think seriously about the consequences of their actions.
-- Nancy Pence, Tampa

A university should focus on education

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me the primary purpose of a university is to educate students. In a recent Times article about the University of South Florida (High-tech hopes, July 9) one would get the impression that high tech and money are the prime objectives of USF.

Figures from a national college rating survey show USF ranks far below the University of Florida and Florida State University in all areas including: graduation rate, incoming freshmen SAT or ACT test scores, freshmen retention rate and percentage of freshmen who graduate in the upper 10 percent of their high school classes.

Being ranked in the third tier (out of four) of nationally ranked universities should certainly act as a wake-up call for USF to focus on its primary objective and try to improve its ranking.
-- James C. Hayes, Clearwater

Share your opinions

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.
--
For e-mail users: Letters can be sent by e-mail to letters@sptimes.com. E-mail messages must be text only and cannot include attachments. If you're using a word processing program to write the message, you must use its "Save as" function to save it as a text file, then import it into your e-mail program. Please include your return e-mail address, as well as your name, mailing address and phone number, in the text of the message.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.