Before the releasing a news story to the public, there are several factors that have to be addressed before its release. In the situation of The Charlotte Observer in November of 1986, they had to decide how much of the information that they received and collected was to be printed, because what became public knowledge could actually cause someone to lose their life. When someone runs for any type of office, they are going to be subject to a close examination of their character by the public. Everything that they do or have done in their life is going to be praised and or scrutinized by the public. Where are the lines drawn and how much information should be printed about someone if it could possibly put their life at risk? By applying the Potter Box these answers should come to the forefront.
             There are several essential facts to this case. There is a candidate who has a past affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan but has been straight for years now. But the reason he was involved with the Ku Klux Klan was because "He was in the Klan as a plant. An informer. For the FBI. He prevented more Klan violence that you'll ever know. He wasn't a devil in the civil rights struggle. He was an angel" (Ethridge 1989). Also, if this information was to get to the public his life was in very serious risk. The candidate later dropped out of the race and the story in its entirety was never released.
             After defining the situation, there are several competing values at hand that need to be addressed. The values of professional, moral, and logical are all competing here. As one looks at professional values, it has to be understood that a newspaper wants to present its story with several aspects including timeliness and impact. After all, this is a very interesting story and a newspaper always wants to be first, fast, and accurate. Then you move to the "moral values of truthtelling, humane, fairness, and hones...