Saturday, November 21, 2009

Let's Do the Time Warp Again!

Just a quick follow up to something we had here back on Nov. 11:

The Huntington school board had OK'd a new tech high school for Huntington North that had been reported in Fort Wayne newspaper and television, locally at the TAB and on HuntingtonFreePress.com, and even here on our our blog.

The Herald-Press finally had a story in on Friday, Nov. 20, a total of 11 days after it had been approved. The H-P likes to use the word "recently" to date stories that they've completely missed. That way the reader can't really tell how long ago the event actually happened.

There was another HUGE story this week in Huntington as Coroner Leon Hurlburt announced the county's first death from H1n1 flu.

The Herald-Press did put the story on the front page of the paper Thursday, but at the bottom of the page, apparently having much less importance to them than their main story, a story on the annual Great American Smokeout.
That story was nothing more than a rehashed press release from the American Cancer Society.
Now, we're all for people to stop smoking, but to make that the story of the day when there was a death from H1N1 is just plain stupid.

It's especially stupid when the Herald-Press has never looked into what is happening with H1N1 in the county. They've had stories from press releases saying that the flu is here, then stories saying it isn't here.

Then, all of a sudden, there's a death from the flu here. The H-P doesn't ask any questions, they just print what is released from the coroner's office. Do they ask how widespread the flu is in Huntington County? Do they ask if it could possibly be a problem?

No.

But they did not that it s Herald-Press policy not to print names of victims.
Which victims? Just flu victims? How about accident victims? Murder victims?
Most media outlets don't print names of victims in cases of sexual assaults, or minors who are victims in certain cases.
But most newspapers probably don't have a policy on naming flu victims. In this case, the name was not provided by the coroner, nor was it integral to the story. The main point was that there was a death, and what ramifications there are from that. But the H-P missed on that follow-up as well.

Still, we'd be interested to see that list of Herald-Press policies.

Maybe they should spend a little more time doing some actual reporting and asking people some real questions rather than worrying about names of flu victims or retyping stories on things like "National Pumpkin Week" or some such thing.

5 comments:

  1. What I don't understand about the whole "we do not print names of victims" is that all it takes is a couple clicks of the mouse to find out the victim in this circumstance. Right there on the only HuntingtonFeePress is the Obituary archives for October. Scroll down and there is an obituary for the 27 yr old victim.

    I really don't understand not releasing the name in this instance. She wasn't an underage victim of a crime, she was the victim of an illness. One that is a high profile illness. There might be those who were around her before her death while she was ill that might like to have the knowledge so they themselves might seek medical help if they have been sick for some time.

    Just a thought.

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  2. The first time I saw it I thought it was a fluke. But the second time has me wondering. Since when do you spell it "roll model"? I saw this spelling last week sometime on the front page and it also appeared many months ago in reference to a banker being a "roll model". Sweet (roll).

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  3. I have noticed a complete decline in the quality of the Herald-Press since the change in management. I am not talking about mere clerical errors or even the timing of the news. A few of my rants:
    1. First and foremost, Dilbert is gone.
    2. Many times the paper has had 2 full page ads in an 8 page paper. I know advertisments are a major source of income but the ad/content ratio is ridiculous.
    3. Charging for online content?? Here is an idea. Free online content to attract viewers, charge for ad space for online content.

    I have since cancelled my subscription and have no desire to renew until something changes. At least until Dilbert returns.

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  4. The H-P has published several stories on Brick House Grill, which I'm sure the owners are quite grateful for. On Thanksgiving Day, one might be less so since he was referred to twice as "DAN" instead of his actual name which was correct in all prior stories-Garin. Mia, Mia, Mia.

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  5. Medical building fire approacing day 4 on the "Breaking" News Banner.

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