By: Bill Baskervill, Associated Press Writer (AP) A top editor with The News & Advance has apologized for altering news stories entered in journalism contests and has left the Lynchburg newspaper.
Associate Managing Editor Bob Morgan, who had worked at the paper for 19 years, said in a message to the staff that he had left "because of an ethical breach for which I am solely responsible."
Morgan, 49, said he changed "several stories" to include content or corrections not in the originally published articles. The entries were submitted electronically.
"There are no acceptable rationales or excuses for my actions, but there are consequences," he wrote. "My career in a field that I love -- journalism -- is over. I have no one to blame for that but myself."
Managing Editor Joe Stinnett wrote about the ethical lapse in a "Dear Reader" letter published Wednesday on the front page of the paper.
"The original stories had been published in their true and accurate form in the newspaper," Stinnett wrote. "However, the unauthorized editing of a story, for whatever purpose, is unethical."
Stinnett said the newspaper will apologize to contest sponsors and return any awards it received for stories that were altered.
In his e-mail to the staff, Morgan said his actions "involve many of your entries in recent journalism contests," including the Virginia Press Association contest.
In March, the News & Advance won the Virginia Press Association's sweepstakes award for medium-size daily newspapers. The award covers a number of articles in various categories, but the newspaper did not identify any specific articles that had been altered.
VPA Executive Director Ginger Stanley said the association is investigating.
Morgan declined to comment Wednesday but sent a copy of the e-mail to The Associated Press.
The News & Advance is owned by Media General Inc.
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