Comments on: Godwin ‘trying to recruit good people’ http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/ News, notes and the inside scoop on Idaho's radio industry & beyond Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:43:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Don@IdahoRadio http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/comment-page-1/#comment-88666 Don@IdahoRadio Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:56:09 +0000 http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/#comment-88666 Reporting the suicide is fine (we did), and reporting the escape was fine (we did), but linking them -- thus outing the identity of the suicide victim -- is at issue. Of the four TV stations (2, 6, 7, 12), three newspapers (Weekly, Statesman, Press-Trib), two radio stations (KBOI, KIDO) and one blog (NewWest) that cover news - only one organization did it before family had been notified. Reporting the suicide is fine (we did), and reporting the escape was fine (we did), but linking them — thus outing the identity of the suicide victim — is at issue. Of the four TV stations (2, 6, 7, 12), three newspapers (Weekly, Statesman, Press-Trib), two radio stations (KBOI, KIDO) and one blog (NewWest) that cover news – only one organization did it before family had been notified.

]]> By: Buster Bronco http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/comment-page-1/#comment-88665 Buster Bronco Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:47:04 +0000 http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/#comment-88665 In the synopsis of the suicide at St. Al's, it is stated "...the media learned of an escaped inmate from the Ada County Jail - who had been publicly identified by the Ada County Prosecutor..." If I understand the synopsis correctly, the victim was identified by the prosecutor only as a jail escapee, not a suicide victim. The information about the escape is becomes public information and therefore available to public consumption. However, the suicide victim was identified later by the coroner's office. Since the information regarding the escape was made public, KBOI had every right to air that information because it had been confirmed by at least two reliable sources. I would not have aired the story about the suicide until confirmation was made by the coroner's office. Had confirmation of the suicide been released by the prosecutor or coroner before family notification, I would have asked officials if they had notified the family. If not, while I certainly would have had the right to air public information, I would have sat on the story until officials confirmed they had notified the family. I think it would have been proper to recognize the family's right to know first outweighs the public right. After notification of next of kin, unless asked to not air the story by the family, I would have aired the story. Did KBOI jump the gun? I think they did in regards to the suicide, but not the escape. Should the KBOI news director be fired? I guess it depends on whether or not that individual has any history of previous offenses in his employment history. If no previous violations, a warning would be issued to the news department. If previous violations, perhaps termination would have been appropriate. In the synopsis of the suicide at St. Al’s, it is stated
“…the media learned of an escaped inmate from the Ada County Jail – who had been publicly identified by the Ada County Prosecutor…” If I understand the synopsis correctly, the victim was identified by the prosecutor only as a jail escapee, not a suicide victim. The information about the escape is becomes public information and therefore available to public consumption. However, the suicide victim was identified later by the coroner’s office.
Since the information regarding the escape was made public, KBOI had every right to air that information because it had been confirmed by at least two reliable sources. I would not have aired the story about the suicide until confirmation was made by the coroner’s office. Had confirmation of the suicide been released by the prosecutor or coroner before family notification, I would have asked officials if they had notified the family. If not, while I certainly would have had the right to air public information, I would have sat on the story until officials confirmed they had notified the family. I think it would have been proper to recognize the family’s right to know first outweighs the public right. After notification of next of kin, unless asked to not air the story by the family, I would have aired the story.
Did KBOI jump the gun? I think they did in regards to the suicide, but not the escape. Should the KBOI news director be fired? I guess it depends on whether or not that individual has any history of previous offenses in his employment history. If no previous violations, a warning would be issued to the news department. If previous violations, perhaps termination would have been appropriate.

]]> By: rainshadow http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/comment-page-1/#comment-88664 rainshadow Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:02:19 +0000 http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/11/08/godwin-trying-to-recruit-good-people/#comment-88664 I rememeber a time several years ago when KIRO TV in Seattle did something of a similar nature. Some people were being held hostage in a bank and someone from the KIRO newsteam called inside the bank and spoke with the robbers. There was considerable debate as to whether these actions, regardless of their motivation, endangered the hostages and interferred with police negotiations. If I had been the general manager of KIRO (or even KBOI for that matter), I would have fired the news director and the reporter involved on the spot. I don't think there is ever a time when ratings are more important than a broadcasters responsibility to the community to report a story appropriately. I rememeber a time several years ago when KIRO TV in Seattle did something of a similar nature. Some people were being held hostage in a bank and someone from the KIRO newsteam called inside the bank and spoke with the robbers.

There was considerable debate as to whether these actions, regardless of their motivation, endangered the hostages and interferred with police negotiations.

If I had been the general manager of KIRO (or even KBOI for that matter), I would have fired the news director and the reporter involved on the spot. I don’t think there is ever a time when ratings are more important than a broadcasters responsibility to the community to report a story appropriately.

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