Roopstigo.com founder and former Plainsman sports editor Selena Roberts agreed to answer questions about her recent controversial article, "Auburn's Tainted Title: Victims, Violations and Vendettas for Glory," and the subsequent national reaction.
Editor's note: This interview was conducted over email.
EB: Tell us about your upcoming story on booster culture at Auburn. There are rumblings that the next story may include Dakota Mosley. Is there any truth to that?
SR: I am working on a piece that involves boosters, but it is in the development stage. Project pieces often involve many weeks and dozens of interviews, so it's difficult to provide firm details at this point.
EB: Considering you’re not on an Auburn beat, what was your motivation for looking so far into the Mike McNeil trial? Did you pursue the story with the intent to uncover information about the trial or the university?
SR: I've been a columnist, projects writer and investigative reporter over the past 20 years, and I select subjects at a national level. Auburn is a national power. And since I went to Auburn, yes, I pay attention to what happens there. I was interested in the armed robbery allegations when they first hit two years ago, and followed the Goodwin trial. A few things didn't ring consistent to me, so I started looking into it. As I did, and began talking with folks, a broader story about the Auburn culture developed.
EB: How did you approach the story? Who did you aim to speak with first, and did you approach them with the intent to help Mike McNeil?
SR: The intent was to inspect a case, and that's how I approached it. I reached out to many people -- including players and Mike McNeil -- as well as Auburn police and Auburn athletic officials. Through a phone call with Capt. Stofer, the police declined comment. Through an email from Jack Smith, Auburn declined.
EB: As an Auburn graduate and former Plainsman staffer, how do you feel about being responsible for another blemish on the reputation of your alma mater?
SR: When I was a j-school student at Auburn, our professors used to talk about the willingness to look in your own backyard for the truth. It's not easy, believe me, because I have a lot of love for the university. Remember, of the thousands of stories I've written in my career, only a handful have been about Auburn. Everyone has to be held accountable. That's the work of a journalist.
EB: With some of the information in the story seemingly bordering on speculation and relying on quotes that were later denied by the sources, was there any motivation to finish the story before the trial began?
SR: Yes, it is common for journalists to write in advance of news events.
EB: How can you stand by the accuracy of your reporting following rebuttals from Tommy Dawson, Gene Chizik, Jay Jacobs and players who you interviewed? Are you going to release interview tapes?
SR: On Tommy Dawson: Apparently, he has no respect for Capt. Stofer's position in providing a no comment to me.
On Gene Chizik: He spent 500 words defending himself, but never once mentioned Mike McNeil's name. It seems Mike McNeil is again invisible in Auburn's eyes.
On Jay Jacobs: He seems like a man under a lot of pressure.
On players: I'm not aware of McNeil disputing anything. He is the one who says he was paid, had a grade changed and was given extra money to host a recruit. As for Mike Blanc, he is a fine person with a good heart and is very likely under a great deal of pressure.
On tape: This is not a movie. Reporters, as a general rule, don't release tapes. That's a Hollywood thing. There are reasons for this: A) information for future stories may be mentioned; B) two people may be taped at the same time, one on the record and one off; and C) unless a reporter tells a subject the taped interview will be public, there is a no reason to violate that trust.
Plainsman staffers John Burns, Kelsey Davis, Andrew Yawn and Lance Davis also contributed efforts to this interview.
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