Beth Melo

Beth Melo is a news reporter and blogger based in Southborough. She has been covering local news and issues in the area for several years, providing residents with information on community events, debates around local issues, and school incidents. Her reporting focuses on children's books as well as general news topics related to Southborough. Beth is committed to transparency and responsible journalism, striving to provide accurate information while maintaining a sense of balance in her coverage. She actively engages with the community through her blog and social media platforms, fostering a sense of connection among residents.

Biography:  https://www.mysouthborough.com/about-the-blog/about/

62%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

60%

Examples:

  • An educator was teaching about the triangle trade, and slave auctions were discussed. During the lesson, the educator held an impromptu mock slave auction.
  • Meghan Cifuentes referred to incidents in her son's classroom that she was happy the school was taking appropriate actions on. Reading from a statement, she called for a better policy and guidelines around literature and what is appropriate for classrooms and teachers.
  • The parents of students in that class had an opportunity to meet with the educator and the principal to learn about the two incidents. The goal was to be transparent with families and take responsibility for mistakes.

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • Dehumanizing words such as slurs should not be spoken by employees or students.
  • Holding a mock slave auction is unacceptable and violates the District's core values.
  • The first incident happened in January during a history lesson on the economy of southern colonies, which included slavery. An educator was teaching about the triangle trade, and slave auctions were discussed.
  • The second incident occurred in April when the same educator was reading a book aloud that was recommended by a colleague. In reading and discussing the text, the educator used the 'N-word'. It was later brought to the District's attention that the 'N-word' does not appear in the book.

Contradictions

75%

Examples:

  • The first incident happened in January during a history lesson on the economy of southern colonies, which included slavery. An educator was teaching about the triangle trade, and slave auctions were discussed.
  • The second incident occurred in April when the same educator was reading a book aloud that was recommended by a colleague. In reading and discussing the text, the educator used the 'N-word'. It was later brought to the District's attention that the 'N-word' does not appear in the book.

Deceptions

40%

Examples:

  • Dehumanizing words such as slurs should not be spoken by employees or students.
  • Holding a mock slave auction is unacceptable and violates the District's core values.
  • The first incident happened in January during a history lesson on the economy of southern colonies, which included slavery. An educator was teaching about the triangle trade, and slave auctions were discussed.
  • The second incident occurred in April when the same educator was reading a book aloud that was recommended by a colleague. In reading and discussing the text, the educator used the 'N-word'. It was later brought to the District's attention that the 'N-word' does not appear in the book.

Recent Articles

Teacher on Leave for Mock Slave Auction and Use of Racial Slur in Massachusetts Classroom

Teacher on Leave for Mock Slave Auction and Use of Racial Slur in Massachusetts Classroom

Broke On: Monday, 24 April 2023 A Massachusetts fifth-grade teacher faces leave following reports of mock slave auction and racial slurs use during lessons in January and April 2023. The incidents involved students of color being discussed during the mock auction and the teacher's usage of the N-word from a book. Both incidents were reported on April 24, with no names released as investigations continue.