While social media offers a conduit through which to interact with friends, family and neighbors, it can often lead us down the proverbial “rabbit hole.”
Among its varied users are those who remain devoted in their pursuit of updated profiles and pages, while others clean profiles sporadically, and some wholly abandon their pages to prolonged and deep sleep.
Facebook is a flawless example of “caveat emptor,” which, in Latin, means “let the buyer beware.”
In journalism, we call the concept “the sniff test,” which serves as a reminder to always check things out.
Following a story posted by Fort Atkinson Online about a decision made Tuesday by the Fort Atkinson City Council to award a class B liquor license to PaddyShack, an incoming area business owned by Mitchell and Erin Patterson, Fort Atkinson Online was made aware that Councilwoman Megan Hartwick — who voted in favor of awarding the license to PaddyShack — included on her Facebook page that she was an employee of another of the couple’s establishments, Paddy Coughlins Pub.
Two other establishments — Mr. Brews Taphouse and the Fort Atkinson Club — had made application for the license, which was awarded to PaddyShack by a 3-2 vote.
Concerns were expressed to Fort Atkinson Online that the relationship between the councilwoman and the establishment posed a conflict of interest.
Responding Thursday by email to Fort Atkinson Online’s questions regarding assertions of a conflict of interest, Hartwick, offered the following statement:
“It has been brought to my attention that some Fort Atkinson Online readers have raised concerns over my perceived conflict of interest in the liquor license vote because it listed ‘bartender/server at Paddy Coughlin’s’ on my Facebook profile. I was previously employed at Paddy Coughlin’s, but have not worked there for, I believe it’s been over four years – well before my position on City Council began. It still also listed me as the Executive Director at United Way, which I no longer am. Updating my Facebook profile information is not of significant importance to me, but the updates have since been made.
“I do not, in any way, shape or form, benefit personally or financially from my vote on Tuesday. Nor did my vote have anything to do with a personal relationship with one of the applicants. My vote was based on one thing and one thing only — which I have already publicly stated more than once — that I believed the most overall economic impact to our city would come from granting Paddy Shack the license. I stand by that decision because I know my integrity, I know the work and time and energy I put into researching and making that decision, and because I fully believe it will benefit our community the most. A community I love and spend a tremendous amount of time serving.
“I am more than happy to answer any residents’ questions or concerns, about this issue or any in the future, if they are interested in contacting me directly to have constructive, effective conversations. My contact information is, and always has been, listed on the city’s website.”
Social media can provide useful information, but it’s not the most reliable source.
Caveat Emptor.
A link to the story about the council’s decision to award the license is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/paddyshack-awarded-liquor-license-sought-by-three-establishments/.
Unsplash.com/Gary Bendig
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