Bad News And Good Judgment: A Guide To Reporting On Sensitive Issues In A Small-town Newspaper - Softcover

Pumarlo, Jim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 096651761X ISBN 13: 9780966517613

Verlag: Marion Street Press Inc., 2005

Inhaltsangabe

Helps editors of small-town newspapers decide how to report on sensitive issues such as suicides, sexual abuse, and accidents.

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Jim Pumarlo is a veteran newspaper editor in Minnesota.

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Bad News and Good Judgment

A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issue in a Small-Town Newspaper

By Jim Pumarlo

Marion Street Press

Copyright © 2005 Jim Pumarlo
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9665176-1-3

Contents

Introduction: Connecting with readers, 
Chapter 1: Foundation of the community press, 
Chapter 2: Developing a policy and making it known, 
Chapter 3: Reporting suicides, 
Chapter 4: Covering sexual abuse cases, 
Chapter 5: Reporting suspensions of high school athletes, 
Chapter 6: Publishing photos of fatal accident scenes, 
Chapter 7: Covering business, 
Chapter 8: Everyday decisions, 
Chapter 9: Gathering the tough news, 
Chapter 10: Rights and responsibilities, 
Chapter 11: Explaining newsroom decisions, 
Chapter 12: Sample policies, 
Index, 

CHAPTER 1

Foundation of the community press

Star athletes expect to read their names in the local newspaper after scoring three touchdowns or making a game-winning basket. But imagine the surprise — to them and their parents — when the community reads about an athlete's suspension for violating state high school league rules.

Photos also can be a shock. While all editors love to feature hometown pride, the reaction can be quite different when the page-one photo is the scene of a fatal accident involving a local resident.

Community newspapers need to print all the news — the good and the bad, but especially the sensitive and tough news — if they are to remain relevant. Covering these types of stories will ensure that the community press remains vital — that readers will continue to pick up the next edition.

It's a safe bet that most newspapers have been asked to announce the grand opening of a business. But how many business owners have initiated coverage of major layoffs or a closing? Are both items of equal news value?

How many editors would expect to be approached to publicize that a local sheriff's employee was named national corrections officer of the year? How many editors would expect to be notified if county officials placed their top jail administrator on leave for alleged violation of personnel policy? Are both items of equal news value?

Both scenarios occurred at the Red Wing Republican Eagle. All the stories — the good and bad news — were pursued and reported in detail. But, as one might expect, the "good" news was eagerly delivered to the newspaper staff, while the newspaper received the "bad" news secondhand through confidential tips.

Community newspapers must be prepared to print all the news if they are to survive. Local news includes stories that people like to read, and stories that may not be so welcome but are just as important.

Each year the community press is challenged for its market share as individuals turn to a variety of avenues for news. But no one is in a better position to report local news than writers in small-town newspapers — individuals who live, work and play on a daily basis with their readers.

Every editor can list the principal news elements that are key to vibrant community newspapers — coverage of schools and sports, reports on government decision-makers, features on civic clubs that add to local quality of life. But what about the sensitive stories? Those are equally important to communities, but are not so readily reported.

Consider these examples:

A high school basketball team was ranked among the top teams in the state. It was cruising along in first place, then got dumped unexpectedly by a lower-tier team. How did it happen? Two starters did not play — one was on a college recruiting trip and the other was disciplined for fighting.

A city dump truck collided with a motorcyclist, killing the cyclist. A clearly distraught truck driver crouched at the scene, consoled by a passer-by. The newspaper's photographer happened to pass the scene, capturing the full emotions in a photo.

An elementary-school boy committed suicide, apparently the result of excessive ribbing by classmates. The aftermath of the suicide lingered in the school.

All three incidents have common elements: They're being talked about in the community. They have an impact on people beyond the individuals involved. They're sensitive issues.

The overriding point, however, is that all three are news. They must be reported if community newspapers truly are to be recorders of living history.

Sensitive issues discussed in this book have another common element. Many people often view the "news" as an invasion of privacy. That can complicate getting a story and having it accepted by readers.

Take the example of a city's top economic development official who was fired by the board of directors. The dismissal opened the city to a lawsuit, raised questions about the viability of the agency, and placed a cloud over the integrity of the official. The person's performance was examined at a public meeting.

In contrast, consider a star basketball player suspended for two games. His absence increased the odds that the team's winning streak would be snapped, threatened the team's state ranking, and tarnished the athlete's character in the eyes of many players and fans.

Newspapers ought to be reporting both stories, but there is a key difference in the case of the suspended athlete. Many state laws prevent school officials from releasing any information about player discipline — even their names. Doing so may even subject school representatives to civil penalties.

But that should not be a reason for newspapers to avoid the story. From a practical standpoint, news of the athlete had circulated by word of mouth. More important, though, newspapers have a responsibility to report the facts. They have just as much an obligation to report the factors leading to a team's loss as they do to report the circumstances behind a city agency not performing up to par.

No doubt, it's much easier for big-city newspapers to report these stories. Editors and reporters are nameless and faceless among most readers. A story of a suspended athlete may be the only time a reporter has contact with a particular team or school. The story, though it creates a stir, is only one among a multitude of items in a metropolitan newspaper. Any protest — a threat to drop advertising or to encourage people to cancel their subscriptions — will have minimal financial ramifications.

Contrast that with circumstances facing small-town newsrooms. Editors and reporters are well known; many people identify them as "the newspaper." Sports reporters are practically team members; they are at most every game and know players and coaches on a first-name basis. The identification of a suspended athlete will be noticed. Any hint that newspapers could lose a major advertiser or a significant number of subscriptions will draw publishers' attention and possibly intervention.

The very elements that place small-town reporters in difficult predicaments also are the exact reasons they are in optimal position for writing about sensitive issues. Reporters may have personal connections, a friend or relative to the individuals involved. They might visualize themselves as the subject of a story.

The close relationship between community newspapers and the people they serve also can prove a hindrance, though. Residents will be quick to call editors, wondering why a particular item went unreported. Some of the same readers simultaneously will cry sensationalism for reporting...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Marion Street Press Inc.
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2005
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 096651761X
• ISBN 13: 9780966517613
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 120
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar