Local editor wants national media to leave Duke, Durham

Melanie Sill, The Raleigh News & Observer’s executive editor for news, is very dissatisfied with national media coverage of the story involving a charge of rape leveled against some members of the Duke University’s Men’s lacrosse team.

Sill says it's been “superficial and focused on the case’s seamy aspects.” But her own paper's coverage has been just fine. It might even improve if the national media leave town.

In her column today, Sill tells readers:

Reporting on the story might even improve if the national TV trucks packed up and left and the throngs dissipated.

No knock on my colleagues, but there has to be some other news out there worth covering.

Sill asks “why, beyond sensationalism, would headlines on the case's lurid details play on TV screens and newspapers for days all over the country?”

For her answer, Sill turns to The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s 2006 State of the Media report which said more news organizations are covering fewer stories.

Sill buys that explanation for the lousy reporting we’ve all been subjected to. Her column is titled “Facts a casualty of frenzy” and she tells readers:

With crowds of journalists and paparazzi gathering, the report said, authorities quickly shut down interviews or turn to press briefings. You can't achieve any depth of reporting at a press briefing.

We've seen this here already. District Attorney Mike Nifong, the only person who can explain his office's decisions on the case, cut off interviews early last week, blaming an overload of requests.

There's more. Be sure to read the whole thing.

A few thoughts –

Sill doesn’t cite any specific examples of the coverage she complaining about. I wish she had. As someone who must read The N&O regularly, I’d love to know what Sill considers seamy and sensationalist.

The national news organizations have cartainly done a lot of lousy reporting but so have some local news organizations.

And among local news organizations, Sill’s N&O stands out for its biased and inflammatory coverage. Earlier today I posted on some of it here.

A lot of people think the best local reporting has come from The Durham Herald Sun. I agree.

There’s a slew of local blogs. The one I’m going to the most is Signifying Nothing. (A humble blogger maybe? Can't be. There aren't any such.)

The SN's blogger, Chris Lawrence, is a visiting professor at Duke. He’s stayed on top of things. He seems fair. He often has items other sources miss.

Give him a look and tell me what you think.

More on Sill’s column tomorrow. Lots more.