Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:09 PM 11/25/1999 -0500, Ruralmopics@aol.com wrote: >topic/issue stories and I always strive to be fair. If I were out to expose >injustice I would probably get a colder reception but I would still offer the >subjects the opportunity to set the record straight before the damage is >done. Incidently, I learned this practice in News 306 class at MU. DId they >teach you something different? Yes, they did, and every paper I've worked for has a policy against showing subjects stories. And the New York Times, Washington Post, Washing Times (left and right, there) and every other paper I know of. What you're supposed to do is a fact check. Read them the quotes, go over major points. But never read them the story. The point is, by checking the facts you avoid the mistakes you mention, but they don't get the idea they have the right to preempt the story the way your write it. Of course, that's more for investigative journalism, but where do you draw the line? So most papers just avoid the problem with a blanket requirement that no stories are shown to subjects. Eric Welch Carlsbad, CA http://www.neteze.com/ewelch Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.