Monday, October 23, 2006

Why not the Duke panel Q&A stream?

Folks,

In know about last Fridays panel and Q&A at Duke Law School you know most of "the best parts" occured when a blog-smart audience, after listening politly, began to ask questions

You can get my take on the event here. I link to two MSM "news accounts" and an excellent blogger report.

Now the next "chapter."

You'll quickly pick up on who Bliwise is and why I'm writing him. Maybe after you read this post you'll want to contact Bliwise yourself. It's:

robert.bliwise@daa.duke.edu

John
____________________________________________________


Dear Editor Bliwise:

Thank you for your prompt reply to my query regarding the audio stream.

I'm very concerned to learn that "technical issues" might prevent the inclusion of the Q&A in the stream Duke Alumni Magazine will make available at its website.

I'm told there are many things that can be done to overcome almost all miking problems.

There was so much said by audience members that was very important.

For example, the first questioner asked N&O Managing Editor John Drescher when and in what detail the N&O first learned of the extraordinary cooperation the lacrosse captains provided police on Mar. 16? And when and in what detail, the questioner asked, did the N&O tell readers about their cooperation?

My recollection is Drescher gave an answer that most people in the blog-smart audience knew was "not quite on the mark."

The questioner then began to say something that sounded like "But the krr …”

At that moment Moderator Frank Stasio interrupted the questioner and turned to the other side of the room for the next question.

I wonder if Stasio wasn’t thinking what a number of people in the audience later said they thought: The questioner was going to say The (“krr..”) Chronicle, in its Mar. 21 story on the investigation of the hoaxer's gang-rape claims, reported Durham Police Sgt. Mark Gottlieb had said the residents of the house (the captains) had been cooperating with police.

On Mar. 25 Drescher’s N&O was the first news organization to report (create?) the vicious "not cooperating" falsehood.

The N&O’s “not cooperating" falsehood did so much to harm the players and mislead the public. The N&O kept repeating it. Nifong used it when he first began speaking publicly about the case on Mar. 27. The infamous "vigilante poster) includes, along with face photos of 43 white lacrosse players, a plea that people tell what happened that night.

So you see, Editor Bliwise, how important it is that we have Drescher on the record.

Please get the Q&A right. If you can't do that, can at least include Drescher's answer to the questioner?

My recollection and notes indicate Drescher said in substance that the N&O did just fine in terms of letting readers know about the players' cooperation while at the same time he blamed the police, the players, their parents, their attorneys, etc. for anything that wasn't "just fine."

What's your recollection of what Drescher said?

Because I'm a blogger I want people to hear what Dresher said so they can judge for themselves.

Please tell me that will happen. I'd hate for people to have to rely on MSM reports of what Drescher said.

Do you know of even one of your journalist colleagues who’s reported on the panel and Q&A and mentioned that Drescher …

You understand the importance of the Q&A on the stream.

I'll be back in touch with you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

John
www.johnincarolina.com

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did they allow recorders? If so, maybe someone who attended and recorded it could make it available.

Also, everyone should read joan foster's reply to Ruth Sheehan. It's very moving and powerful:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/ruth/index.php?title=highly_unacceptable_behavior&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Anonymous said...

The answers were recorded properly even if the questions were not. Let's have the answers regardless.