I just sent the following email to Raleigh News & Observer executive editor for news Melanie Sill.
Dear Melanie:
In your March 25 story headlined,
Dancer gives details of ordealthe N&O reported:
A woman hired to dance for the Duke lacrosse team describes a night of racial slurs, growing fear and, finally, sexual violence
Duke officials briefed university staff Friday on the allegations, and authorities vowed to crack the team's wall of solidarity.Nowhere in your story do you report the extensive cooperation the players had been providing police since police first contacted them on March 16.
"We're asking someone from the lacrosse team to step forward," Durham police Cpl. David Addison said. "We will be relentless in finding out who committed this crime."
Your story referenced “Duke officials” and quoted two, Academic Council chair and Law professor Paul Haagen and sports information director Art Chase.
But the N&O made no mention that Duke had said the previous day that the players were cooperating.
Here’s the text of a March 24 news release from John F. Burness, Duke's senior vice president for public affairs and government relations. I’m sure you know of it but I’m placing it here so JinC readers and others can read it.
Yesterday, 46 Duke University undergraduates who are members of the men’s lacrosse team responded to a legal order from Durham authorities and traveled downtown to be photographed and provide identifying information. The authorities made the request in connection with an investigation of an alleged incident on March 14 at 610 Buchanan St. in Durham. Duke University is monitoring the situation and cooperating with officials, as are the students. (emphasis added)I’ve three questions I’d like to ask you, Melanie. I’ll publish your answers in full at JinC.
1) Why did The N&O decide to make no mention of Burness’ statement saying the players were cooperating with officials?
2) Why did The N&O decide to say nothing at all about the extensive cooperation the players were providing and instead promulgate the “wall of solidarity” falsehood?
3) Did all of the reporters and editors working on the March 25 story agree that withholding news of the players’ cooperation was the right thing for journalists to do?
Thank you for your attention to my request.
John in Carolina
6 comments:
Great questions posed by John in Carolina. Will the N&O's Melanie Sill answer them?
I'm thinking that this is not a response I would be expecting anytime soon. If you do get one, I think it will be a Nifong type of "We didn't do that and if we did, we didn't mean it". I look forward to your publishing the response if you get one
Have to admire your stick-to- itness. These people will never own up to what they have done. Like Duke, they are waiting for it to blow over. 10"22 is correct in the assessment. What a jear and still no trial date or dismissal.
Liestoppers is right - need the Go Gish Insurance.
Hey, we "misintrepeted" the Listening Ad, didn't we? That we read "something happened" as a rush to judgment is indicative of the bias we brought to the situation (so says Karla Holloway).
Well, I'm sure Sill feels the same way, we simply misinterpreted the coverage provided by the N&O. She would recommend we enroll in a remedial reading course immediately. Preferably, I'm sure, one taught by Lubiano.
Imagine, at one point I thought the press was there to help protect us from government. What a joke now.
"Imagine, at one point I thought the press was there to help protect us from government. What a joke now."
JK, I'm not sure "protect" is the proper word, "watchdog" fits better, and yet, (I am going to make a political observation here, not a political condemnation) beginning in 1994, our Republican-led Congress completely changed the laws regarding media ownership.
The MSM as it's known now, falls under the umbrella of a few, very few corporations. That's why Anna Smith's story has dominated cable news instead of more pressing and interesting (and pertinent) stories.
It's also the reason the internet and blogging have become a powerful voice in the dissemination of information, and why very successful and influential writers, pundits and news anchors cast a very disparaging eye on the blogosphere.
Just witness the work of the blogs surrounding this hoax, from KC Johnson, JinC, Johnsville News, Liestoppers, et al, have done.
The best journalism combines rigorous research with clear, concise writing or reporting, and where do we see that played out day after day? Here in blogistan.
In essence, each of us is a journalist. The information is available, the tools needed to access that information are available, and now regular Joe's and Jane's are taking on the challenge.
The best (witness those mentioned above) already have the tools necessary to perform the tasks -- a college professor, lawyers, (not sure what JinC does) and others, because despite being an extraordinarily difficult job, one who is familiar with rigorous research and is able to communicate clearly the results of that research will be heeded.
The media landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade alone, the "watchdog" those of us knew in the 1970's has become the "lapdog" to profit, ratings, ad revenue and subscriptions.
There's nothing wrong with making a buck, I work everyday to do make as many as possible, but corporate profits reign over substance when you get down to brass tacks.
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