When the Truth Catches Up

“…How do rumors get started?
They’re started by the jealous people
And they get mad seeing something they had
And somebody else is holding…”

Those are lyrics from the song “Rumors” by Hot Club Nouveau back in 1986. I was a freshman in high school, mullet flowing (and yes, it was NICE), jamming to that song on a cassette player.

Funny how something from nearly 40 years ago can still feel so relevant today.

With the recent situation involving Manchester Tourism, that song immediately came to mind.

But let’s be real for a moment—rumors don’t always start from jealousy. Sometimes they start from confusion. Sometimes from concern. And sometimes from a lack of information.

And in a small community like ours, they spread fast.

We first began seeing talk of an investigation circulating on social media. As a newspaper, we watch that closely. Not because we believe everything we see—but because we know how quickly things can take on a life of their own.

You might wonder how we handle something like that.

The truth is, it’s not easy.

When we see something begin to gain traction—especially something serious like an investigation—we start making calls. We reach out to agencies. We ask questions. And often, those agencies can’t comment. That’s understandable.

So, we dig.

Over time, you build sources—people you trust to help you determine whether there’s any truth behind the noise. In this case, we found there was some validity. But to what extent, we still don’t know.

And that puts us in a difficult position.

Do you publish something you believe is likely true, or do you wait for confirmation while social media continues to speculate?

That’s the balance we deal with every day.

Eventually, we received enough verification to move forward with a story. And I’ll be honest—I don’t like stories like this.

When the word “investigation” is involved, it carries weight. It carries assumptions. And too often, people associate it with guilt.

That’s not always the case.

In situations like this, a complaint is made and authorities are obligated to look into it. That’s how the system works. Sometimes those investigations move quickly. Sometimes they take time.

But it does not automatically mean anyone has done something wrong.

And that’s important to remember.

Because behind every headline, there are people—people with families, reputations and lives that can be impacted by what’s said and shared.

Manchester Tourism has done a lot of positive things for this community. They play an important role in where this town is headed. Like any active organization, are there challenges? Of course. That’s part of growth.

My hope is that cooler heads prevail, that facts—not rumors—guide the outcome, and that any differences can be worked through in a way that benefits the entire community.

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing—a stronger Manchester.

Let’s be mindful of that moving forward.