A news outlet in the Fargo community has made the unusual decision to protect known serial rapist, child molester, and convict Cole Mooridian by removing a story they did on Mooridian which ran in April 2021.

If Valley News Live readers attempt to click the link, they quickly discover the story has been removed entirely. According to multiple staff members at Valley News Live, this action is standard practice when charges have been dismissed as was the case for Mooridian at his pre-trial hearing in January 2022. This policy is upheld even for those accused of violent crimes against children.

While I can understand the logic of providing an update when charges have been dismissed, in more than twenty years of experience in journalism I have never heard of a newspaper or other news outlet removing a story in its entirety.

Valley News Live is a pioneer in protecting violent criminals from the public. Yes, you read that correctly and it’s not the other way around – though inarguably it should be. It makes me sick to think a news outlet has elected to protect the criminal instead of protecting the public by reporting the truth.