The Algorithm Wants Guilt. We Don’t.
There’s a category of headline that looks like accountability journalism and functions like click bait: “Epstein mentioned X.” If the only “news” is proximity—an implication without an interaction—we’re out.
In the WFAE story circulating today, the reporting itself includes the key fact that makes it non-news: David Tepper is not a sender or recipient of the emails, and there’s no evidence he ever met or corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein or accepted any invitation. That’s not a scandal. It’s a predator name-dropping wealthy targets in an effort to trade up.
Epstein’s crimes were real and horrific. That’s exactly why editors should be disciplined about what we amplify. The journalistic question is simple: does this item advance public understanding, or does it merely attach a clean name to a dirty one to harvest attention?
This story does the latter.
Epstein’s entire method was access theater—floating names, suggesting introductions, implying intimacy, manufacturing social proof. Publishing “he invited you” as though it’s incriminating essentially rewards that method after the fact. It converts a predator’s aspirational networking into reputational damage for people who may never have been in the room.
At The Charlotte Mercury, here’s the standard: we publish this kind of material when it includes evidence of interaction or consequence, not just a mention.
That means:
- Direct correspondence (sender/recipient), not third-party chatter
- Documented meeting/travel/relationship, not an unaccepted invitation
- Corroborated allegations or official action, not insinuation
- Material relevance to Charlotte beyond “famous guy appears in file”
There are Epstein-related stories that meet that bar—where people corresponded directly, arranged meetings, traveled, or their own words reveal intent. Those deserve scrutiny. This doesn’t.
If you want to write about David Tepper, write about what’s real: team decisions, stadium issues, the business of the Panthers, public financing, leadership choices. That’s fair game. But an invitation that may never have been received isn’t accountability—it’s adjacency journalism.
And yes: Tepper’s name shows up in these circles for the most boring reason imaginable. He’s rich. Epstein chased wealth and status like a bloodhound. That tells us something about Epstein. It tells us nothing about Tepper.
I’d love to be successful enough that someone thinks Bill Gates might take my call. That’s not a crime.
We cover power with evidence. We don’t cover insinuation with a headline.
Where To Read More From Us
If you’re looking for what we do publish, start here: the main desk at The Charlotte Mercury(https://cltmercury.com/) and the running report at News(https://cltmercury.com/news), plus our accountability coverage in Politics(https://cltmercury.com/politics).
About the Author
Peter Cellino is the publisher of The Charlotte Mercury, fueled by coffee that is either too hot to drink or already cold, with nothing in between. If you want to argue about editorial standards, send a note on Bluesky at bsky.app/profile/petercellino.com(https://bsky.app/profile/petercellino.com). He reads messages the way he reads headlines: quickly, skeptically, and usually before the second cup.
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This article, “We Won’t Publish Guilt-by-Proximity Headlines,” by Peter Cellino is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/).
“We Won’t Publish Guilt-by-Proximity Headlines”
by Peter Cellino, Mercury Local (CC BY-ND 4.0)