Case Study 6: Reviving Old News

Weekly, writers come into the newsroom pitching a story, only to hear that “we’ve done it before” or “that’s not fresh.” And in most cases, the rest of the newsroom nods in remembrance of the previous story run and continue on to further ideas.

Is that really the way to do news? In some instances, like this case study on the King/Drew Medical Center, shows that news is still news. We have to continue to provide news to our readers, even if, in our minds, the story is done.

The story, involving malpractice, money problems, and poor decisions of doctors, shows an ongoing, endemic situation that still affects many people in the area.

The key learning from this is that the first print should not be the last. Investigative journalists have to continue digging, even if they think they have dug enough. If the issue is still a problem, it needs addressing.

As the tool for holding institutions, we must keep an ear to the ground and make sure that information disseminated helps our readership.

Case Study 5: Learn to Love the Documents

As seen in the work I have done this semester and in previous semesters, I love documents. Often times, they will provide the best forms of evidence. People will say things in documents that they would never verbally express. There seems to be some sort of inexistent veil of secrecy that people associate with documents.

This is highlighted in the fifth case study, surrounding the mentally ill homes and abuse discovered by Cliff Levy at the Gray Lady. Piles of documents illustrate how the denizens of these homes were treated horribly, something that the paper would never get without these documents.

Interviewing is a key source for journalists, that can always need improving, but documents require just as much skill. Precision and accuracy in using documents can push good stories to great.

Documents also provide the most solid form of defense from detractors. Readers will sometimes question whether a quote from an interview is “fair” or “in context,” but documents provide visual proof for your credibility. As Greenman said, “Don’t trust me. Look at them yourself.”

Case Study 4: Dig Deeper

A story can come from the tiniest seed of dissent. A little can give into a giant story.

And this was seen with Gary Cohn and Will Englund of the Baltimore Sun, revealing the dangerous, little known policy of shipbreaking.

A big key learning in this is the expertise-building and knowing who to go to. When you are working on a story, your life gets wrapped up in it, to the point where you can explain the situation as proficiently as the source. In addition, you have to know where to go, which can involve relying on fellow journalists and translators to help find the information you need.

LISTSERVs like the EWA, IRE and others that we have used are perfect examples of this. In two different instances this semester, information and sources provided by others on the LISTSERV have greatly added to story ideas and have given better context in explaining.

With my story, it shows how you have to keep digging and find the story. A month ago, no one would have cared about what I was writing about. But I worked and worked to get the better story, something that everyone would want to read.

Case Study 3: Face the Force

One of the biggest problems when you work on a story about any potential wrongdoing is facing the accused. For months you have worked on a story so that you know what you are talking about.  And now, they are a phone call away. Why is it so hard? Because you know the end result. They scream, you try and keep them on the line, and you pray in your head that you don’t hear the phone click.

Such was seen with the story by Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss, asking questions about the Tiger Force, a special taskforce in Vietnam.

They were persistent, asking witnesses and confronting members of the taskforce, ultimately leading to a gigantic story on criminal activity in the military.

But being fearless led them to get control on the interviews and made sure that they got what they needed. And for all journalists, this is an important skill.

As I sat in my car in the blazing sun, taking notes with one hand and holding the phone in another, I at points in my interviews felt like my power was slipping. I allowed an interviewee to try and run me off course, but I had to return with strength. And because I did, I ended up getting some of the best quotes.

Be strong, fellow journalists. For it is you, as Sallah said, that hold all the cards.

Case Study 2: Face-to-Face

When reporting at the Red & Black, when stressed out of your mind with the amount of columns and articles needed in a week, you can’t do in-person interviews all the time. I prefer them because you get “realer” answers, but if I need to do three interviews in an hour, I can’t drive all over ACC to find them and wait as their secretary tells me he/she is in a meeting.

The second case study, about former Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt, shows how my thinking needs adjustment in bigger stories, profiling the courage needed to confront people with their dirty laundry.

Nigel Jacquiss, the reporter, met both the governor and the sexually abused neighbor at their respective homes, getting to the core of the issue to find the real scoop on the story.

Showing up unannounced gave the sources no chance to hide or to prepare. They gave candid, honest responses.

In my own story, I found it necessary to definitely meet over several times with one source, trying to make sure her story was true. I would ask her the same questions over and over again, and compare what she said between instances to verify what she said. Making sure that what she alleged was true put me at ease in writing the story.

Verification and confronting sources is the true skill to glean from this case study. I will definitely take it under advisement when doing future stories. The answers you get in face-to-face interviews top anything from any other interview.