Several readers asked us why we publicize bomb threats at schools and why we used a photograph of one threat written on a bathroom wall.
Generally, we try to do minimal coverage on what we consider non-serious bomb threats. It happens every year. A nice spring day, somebody wants to get out of school, and they create a "bomb threat" not knowing, of course, the seriousness of the situation.
Our rule of thumb: If the kids were evacuated and the school was swept by police or bomb squads, we do a story. We reason people are going to want to know why kids are leaving school. Could be gas leak, could be infrastructure problem, could be bomb threat.
It's important to know how serious authorities are taking the threat as well.
So, we report that news without say but don't put it on the top of page one in a banner headline, unless of course, there was a bomb found.
When there is a second, kind of copycat, bomb threat, we try to downplay....maybe do a brief on the inside news pages. If schools take no action and authorities don't take a threat seriously, we sometimes do nothing.
In the bomb threats a few weeks ago, we did a story on the one at East, and included a picture.
Some readers wondered why we included the picture. Wouldn't that just encourage kids to copycat?
We used the picture after verifying its authenticity. We also determined it was all over Facebook, so we were not going to be able to keep kids from seeing it anyway.
We also talked with Mankato Supt. Sherri Allen and she said she thought it might be helpful to publish the picture with the idea that more kids, more parents, more staff would see it and maybe recognize the handwriting or some other revealing characteristic that would help apprehend the person making the threat.
We did learn later that evening that it appeared a person had been caught. We could have pulled the picture, but again, we felt, it was all over the Internet anyway. And we could lend words to the picture and a story explaining the facts of the case and how serious it is taken.
Whereas if you pull the picture, then the only place kids are getting information about it is Facebook, where a lot of kids were making fun of it, framing it as a joke, thinking it was not serious.
We always think about these kinds of decisions more than people would expect or predict. We're very aware of the power of the media and some of these things just need to be thought through a bit now and then.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Controversial abortion Doonesbury strips pushed online only
Like many newspapers around the country, The Free Press will not be publishing this week's "Doonesbury" strips in the print edition of the newspaper.
The strips contain some rather graphic illustrations and language involving abortion that would be better suited to our online site where people can view them at their own discretion.
I just didn't feel publishing the controversial strips would go well with the "Garfield," "Family Circus," and "Peanuts" comic strips.
People who read our comics pages may not only be young children, but also unaware adults who might be offended by some of the panels in this week's "Doonesbury." The syndicate we purchase "Doonesbury" from supplied us with alternate strips for this week that we will publish in the print edition.
We are publishing the controversial strips online under our "Talkers" banner at the top right hand side of our web page.
Many other newspapers made the same decision, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Des Moines Register.
As Free Press readers know, we moved both Doonesbury and Mallard Fillmore off the opinion page and into the comics section several months ago. We did this partly to free up more space on the opinion page for letters and other columns.
We made room on the comics page by moving the horoscopes to the classified section.
We may not have moved "Doonsebury" if it were still on the opinion page, the thought being not a lot of young children are reading that page.
Anyway, I personally believe the controversial strips are worth reading. As usual, "Doonesbury" author Garry Trudeau raises important issues and offers a new, though graphic, way to look at how we are coming to deal with abortion in the country through policy and courts.
The strips contain some rather graphic illustrations and language involving abortion that would be better suited to our online site where people can view them at their own discretion.
I just didn't feel publishing the controversial strips would go well with the "Garfield," "Family Circus," and "Peanuts" comic strips.
People who read our comics pages may not only be young children, but also unaware adults who might be offended by some of the panels in this week's "Doonesbury." The syndicate we purchase "Doonesbury" from supplied us with alternate strips for this week that we will publish in the print edition.
We are publishing the controversial strips online under our "Talkers" banner at the top right hand side of our web page.
Many other newspapers made the same decision, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Des Moines Register.
As Free Press readers know, we moved both Doonesbury and Mallard Fillmore off the opinion page and into the comics section several months ago. We did this partly to free up more space on the opinion page for letters and other columns.
We made room on the comics page by moving the horoscopes to the classified section.
We may not have moved "Doonsebury" if it were still on the opinion page, the thought being not a lot of young children are reading that page.
Anyway, I personally believe the controversial strips are worth reading. As usual, "Doonesbury" author Garry Trudeau raises important issues and offers a new, though graphic, way to look at how we are coming to deal with abortion in the country through policy and courts.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
An amendment to my dissertation on letters to the editor
Newspaper reporters and editors learn to summarize when they write.
Unfortunately, they do this at their peril.
So when I wrote recently that letter writers have to be civil, accurate, fair and within the 275 word limit, I was too brief and too vague.
I was recently challenged by a letter writer's friend and associate who couldn't figure out why their letter was rejected because they felt it met all the criteria listed.
Well, one criteria I assumed at my peril and did not articulate was this: Letters to the editor should and actually must be "about the news." They should be an "opinion" about "the news."
They're not really a place to say you love your aunt sally or that people should be nice to each other. While those are certainly worthy thoughts and I appreciate folks who have them, we have limited space and purpose in the letters column.
We generally want people to respond to what we put in the newspaper, i.e. the news.
I often get letters from people wanting to recite the homily they heard at church, quoting sometimes word for word. While it's laudable, it's not a "letter to the editor." The "letter to the editor" suggests you're going to address something the "editor" has done, or at least approved for publication.
And while this editor does attend church, he does not generally take religious commentary. Can you think of something more difficult to treat fairly? If we allow the Catholics to preach, we must allow the Lutherans, and their four of five branches, the Buddists, the Hindus, the Shiites, the Sunnis, the Muslims......you get the picture.
We would never have any room for the regular folks just commenting on the news.
It's not to say religious folks are banned for the letters page, we just are not a surrogate for the pulpit. Besides, we wouldn't want to give people a reason for not going to church.
So, yes, a letter writer needs to comment on the news. Make it relevant. Preach if you want. Do it in 275 words and relate it to a story in the paper.
You're good.
Unfortunately, they do this at their peril.
So when I wrote recently that letter writers have to be civil, accurate, fair and within the 275 word limit, I was too brief and too vague.
I was recently challenged by a letter writer's friend and associate who couldn't figure out why their letter was rejected because they felt it met all the criteria listed.
Well, one criteria I assumed at my peril and did not articulate was this: Letters to the editor should and actually must be "about the news." They should be an "opinion" about "the news."
They're not really a place to say you love your aunt sally or that people should be nice to each other. While those are certainly worthy thoughts and I appreciate folks who have them, we have limited space and purpose in the letters column.
We generally want people to respond to what we put in the newspaper, i.e. the news.
I often get letters from people wanting to recite the homily they heard at church, quoting sometimes word for word. While it's laudable, it's not a "letter to the editor." The "letter to the editor" suggests you're going to address something the "editor" has done, or at least approved for publication.
And while this editor does attend church, he does not generally take religious commentary. Can you think of something more difficult to treat fairly? If we allow the Catholics to preach, we must allow the Lutherans, and their four of five branches, the Buddists, the Hindus, the Shiites, the Sunnis, the Muslims......you get the picture.
We would never have any room for the regular folks just commenting on the news.
It's not to say religious folks are banned for the letters page, we just are not a surrogate for the pulpit. Besides, we wouldn't want to give people a reason for not going to church.
So, yes, a letter writer needs to comment on the news. Make it relevant. Preach if you want. Do it in 275 words and relate it to a story in the paper.
You're good.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Political press releases: When The Free Press is not "free"
It happens every election year.
A new candidate will send us a press release and a few days later call to ask why we haven't "printed it" yet.
I'm always a bit surprised by these candidates, many of who are sometimes running for high statewide offices.
They don't seem to understand how a newspaper works to cover politics.
Newspapers (real ones anyway) do not print political press releases word for word. If we did, we wouldn't need reporters. We'd need transcribers. Still, many expect newspapers to print their "views" because they people have a right to know.
They sometimes come to understand this is the case with our newspaper because other mostly smaller-town weekly papers do exactly what we don't. They print the press releases, word for word.
We're happy to review and read press releases as a starting point to what may or may not be a story about the candidate and their election. But many of these press releases are fraught with hyperbole and opinion and what have come to be known as "talking points."
"Talking points" are ways of saying things and raising issues that one's political party has determined will be a good way to "stay on message," i.e. to not answer questions directly or answer questions that veers from these talking points.
There are very few press releases that become stories. That's because we believe our readers and our reporters working with our readers are better able to set the agenda, define the issues than the political party handlers.
Just about the time the uninitiated candidates figure out you're not going to print their press releases verbatim in the news columns, they go for the opinion page. After all, they have their opinions and it's the newspaper's duty to print them.
Actually, we usually do not print their opinions on the opinion page either, at least not during the heat of an election. For one thing, we feel they have access to the media and many avenues to get their views across through regular election coverage.
They will at some point likely be interviewed by a reporter. They'll be at a debate or forum where their views will be covered.
Most of the opinion columns I am sent by political candidates of all stripes are basic talking points. They offer very little new information or details on a policy position.
There will be exceptions as always. If a candidate is somehow directly criticized by name by our own editorial or those by others, they will get a chance to respond in a similar number of words.
If they have greater knowledge on a topic of particular importance to our readers, they will be given a chance to write a longer essay on that topic.
All in all, our job is to ask questions of our elected leaders and those running for office, not just let them repeat talking points again and again.
We keep our readers in mind when we pursue these questions. What would readers want to know about this candidate's position?
But, no, we don't republish press releases. That's not what "Free Press" refers to.
A new candidate will send us a press release and a few days later call to ask why we haven't "printed it" yet.
I'm always a bit surprised by these candidates, many of who are sometimes running for high statewide offices.
They don't seem to understand how a newspaper works to cover politics.
Newspapers (real ones anyway) do not print political press releases word for word. If we did, we wouldn't need reporters. We'd need transcribers. Still, many expect newspapers to print their "views" because they people have a right to know.
They sometimes come to understand this is the case with our newspaper because other mostly smaller-town weekly papers do exactly what we don't. They print the press releases, word for word.
We're happy to review and read press releases as a starting point to what may or may not be a story about the candidate and their election. But many of these press releases are fraught with hyperbole and opinion and what have come to be known as "talking points."
"Talking points" are ways of saying things and raising issues that one's political party has determined will be a good way to "stay on message," i.e. to not answer questions directly or answer questions that veers from these talking points.
There are very few press releases that become stories. That's because we believe our readers and our reporters working with our readers are better able to set the agenda, define the issues than the political party handlers.
Just about the time the uninitiated candidates figure out you're not going to print their press releases verbatim in the news columns, they go for the opinion page. After all, they have their opinions and it's the newspaper's duty to print them.
Actually, we usually do not print their opinions on the opinion page either, at least not during the heat of an election. For one thing, we feel they have access to the media and many avenues to get their views across through regular election coverage.
They will at some point likely be interviewed by a reporter. They'll be at a debate or forum where their views will be covered.
Most of the opinion columns I am sent by political candidates of all stripes are basic talking points. They offer very little new information or details on a policy position.
There will be exceptions as always. If a candidate is somehow directly criticized by name by our own editorial or those by others, they will get a chance to respond in a similar number of words.
If they have greater knowledge on a topic of particular importance to our readers, they will be given a chance to write a longer essay on that topic.
All in all, our job is to ask questions of our elected leaders and those running for office, not just let them repeat talking points again and again.
We keep our readers in mind when we pursue these questions. What would readers want to know about this candidate's position?
But, no, we don't republish press releases. That's not what "Free Press" refers to.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Ethical dilemma in man taping girls case
A Waseca County man was written up in a police report but not charged with a crime for his activities taping a girls basketball game at West last week.
Parents reported the man taping the game and focusing on one girl. The West athletic director confronted the man and police were later called in. The man says he tapes lots of girls basketball games.
He allowed officials to look at his tape. There were various scenes, some from the basketball game and others showed him masturbating and involved what appeared to be game crowd noises in the background. Our full story is here. The man seemed to be videotaping one girl.
Police looked at the tape and determined he did not commit a crime. The school has banned him from all schools and may notify other schools.
The police report contained his name, but The Free Press did not publish it because the main did not commit a crime and does not have a criminal record.
However, I wonder if our readers feel they have a need to know this man's name. (Could he live in their neighborhood?).
The ethical dilemma here is: The public's right to know vs. a man's right to not be falsely accused of a crime.
Connected to this whole issue is: What responsibility does a news organization have to reveal the name of individuals involved in this type of behavior if they are not charged with a crime?
Here's the full story:
Parents reported the man taping the game and focusing on one girl. The West athletic director confronted the man and police were later called in. The man says he tapes lots of girls basketball games.
He allowed officials to look at his tape. There were various scenes, some from the basketball game and others showed him masturbating and involved what appeared to be game crowd noises in the background. Our full story is here. The man seemed to be videotaping one girl.
Police looked at the tape and determined he did not commit a crime. The school has banned him from all schools and may notify other schools.
The police report contained his name, but The Free Press did not publish it because the main did not commit a crime and does not have a criminal record.
However, I wonder if our readers feel they have a need to know this man's name. (Could he live in their neighborhood?).
The ethical dilemma here is: The public's right to know vs. a man's right to not be falsely accused of a crime.
Connected to this whole issue is: What responsibility does a news organization have to reveal the name of individuals involved in this type of behavior if they are not charged with a crime?
Here's the full story:
MANKATO — A man with two video cameras who was questioned by a police officer during a West High School girls basketball game last week has been banned from all of Mankato’s schools.
Police were called to West at 8:45 p.m. Feb. 17 after two other men noticed the 58-year-old Waseca County man was filming a West player.
When that player was on the court, the man — whose name is not being published because he hasn’t been charged with a crime and has no criminal record — would film her. When the player was on the bench, the man would put his camera down, according to Mankato officer Dale Stoltman’s report.
Another man who noticed what was going on and the father of the player confronted the man with the camera during the second half of the game. They told Stoltman the man with the camera became nervous and couldn’t explain why he was at the game or why he was recording one of the players.
West activities director Ken Essay had brought the man and his cameras to Essay’s office. The man was there when Stoltman arrived.
He told Stoltman he had bought a new camera and wanted to compare it to his old one. He also said he does a lot of recording of girls basketball games. Before Stoltman arrived, he told Essay he had been at a Lake Crystal game earlier that night. The man eventually said he travels often and regularly films girls sporting events.
Stoltman eventually left Essay’s office to talk to the two other men. While he was gone, the Waseca County man apparently gave Essay permission to watch a recording on one of the video cameras. Stoltman described the video as “rather disturbing.”
“The video was of (the man) sitting in an office-style chair masturbating,” Stoltman’s report said.
“He was also yelling out individual girl(s) names and appeared to be watching a video of something, possibly basketball as it sounded like cheering in the background. I only watched for a moment before I told Ken to shut it down.”
Essay told Stoltman there were numerous videos of high school girls basketball games on the camera, including videos from the game in Lake Crystal.
As Stoltman’s questioning continued, the man repeatedly said he didn’t see any problem with what he had recorded. He also said he travels all over the world, and was planning trips to China and Alaska.
“(The man) focused most of his ‘story telling’ on his travels and love for filming rather than why we (school and law enforcement) had concerns of his unusual behavior.”
Stoltman’s report said he and Essay encouraged the man to seek psychological help. The incident was reviewed by an investigator who determined the man hadn’t committed a crime.
The man allowed Essay to keep his cameras. Essay told the officer he planned to notify state school officials about the incident and was considering sending out an alert to other schools. The man was told he would be charged with trespassing if he was caught on Mankato school property again.
A notice that was sent out to parents of Mankato students Thursday told them about the incident. It also encouraged parents to report suspicious activity to school authorities.
“We are committed to keeping our students and school community safe,” the notice said. “We ask for your continued partnership in reporting suspicious behavior as was done in this case.”
Police were called to West at 8:45 p.m. Feb. 17 after two other men noticed the 58-year-old Waseca County man was filming a West player.
When that player was on the court, the man — whose name is not being published because he hasn’t been charged with a crime and has no criminal record — would film her. When the player was on the bench, the man would put his camera down, according to Mankato officer Dale Stoltman’s report.
Another man who noticed what was going on and the father of the player confronted the man with the camera during the second half of the game. They told Stoltman the man with the camera became nervous and couldn’t explain why he was at the game or why he was recording one of the players.
West activities director Ken Essay had brought the man and his cameras to Essay’s office. The man was there when Stoltman arrived.
He told Stoltman he had bought a new camera and wanted to compare it to his old one. He also said he does a lot of recording of girls basketball games. Before Stoltman arrived, he told Essay he had been at a Lake Crystal game earlier that night. The man eventually said he travels often and regularly films girls sporting events.
Stoltman eventually left Essay’s office to talk to the two other men. While he was gone, the Waseca County man apparently gave Essay permission to watch a recording on one of the video cameras. Stoltman described the video as “rather disturbing.”
“The video was of (the man) sitting in an office-style chair masturbating,” Stoltman’s report said.
“He was also yelling out individual girl(s) names and appeared to be watching a video of something, possibly basketball as it sounded like cheering in the background. I only watched for a moment before I told Ken to shut it down.”
Essay told Stoltman there were numerous videos of high school girls basketball games on the camera, including videos from the game in Lake Crystal.
As Stoltman’s questioning continued, the man repeatedly said he didn’t see any problem with what he had recorded. He also said he travels all over the world, and was planning trips to China and Alaska.
“(The man) focused most of his ‘story telling’ on his travels and love for filming rather than why we (school and law enforcement) had concerns of his unusual behavior.”
Stoltman’s report said he and Essay encouraged the man to seek psychological help. The incident was reviewed by an investigator who determined the man hadn’t committed a crime.
The man allowed Essay to keep his cameras. Essay told the officer he planned to notify state school officials about the incident and was considering sending out an alert to other schools. The man was told he would be charged with trespassing if he was caught on Mankato school property again.
A notice that was sent out to parents of Mankato students Thursday told them about the incident. It also encouraged parents to report suspicious activity to school authorities.
“We are committed to keeping our students and school community safe,” the notice said. “We ask for your continued partnership in reporting suspicious behavior as was done in this case.”
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
How do you feel about political candidates who don't answer questions directly?
OK folks. Here's the hot topic I really would like people to address.
Maybe you've invested your time in watching a political debate or attending one. At some point, a candidate comes nowhere close to answering a question directly.
What do you think of that?
Case in point. Republican debate last night on CNN. Last question. CNN John King asks "What is the biggest misconception people have about you." He urged them to help people figure out who to vote for.
Ron Paul got to answer first. He answer it. He said, it's that people don't think he can win. And he elaborated.
Newt Gingrich was next. As far as I could tell, he didn't answer it. Not even close. He went to his talking points and a closing speech.
Romney, possibly taking Newt's lead and seeing King didn't call him on it, did the same thing. Not even close to the question. Went into talking points, highlighting his attributes compared to Obama.
King pressed him. The question was "misconceptions," he said. Romney replied, seemed surprised King held him to it, but not Gingrich.
Romney said something like: "You get to choose the questions and I get to choose the answers." King grinned, Cheshire cat like, and said "fair enough" and let Romney go on. More talking points.
Santorum basically answered the questions directly, reiterating Paul's point, that people don't think he can win.
So, should journalists or questioners allow officials to get away with this? Or is it OK. Are the journalist questions too leading, and if they are should, candidates be given a pass?
I have an "evil reporter" idea on this. Let the audience vote on if the candidate answered the question, and they have to keep talking until they get 50 percent who say they answered it. What do we think?
Maybe you've invested your time in watching a political debate or attending one. At some point, a candidate comes nowhere close to answering a question directly.
What do you think of that?
Case in point. Republican debate last night on CNN. Last question. CNN John King asks "What is the biggest misconception people have about you." He urged them to help people figure out who to vote for.
Ron Paul got to answer first. He answer it. He said, it's that people don't think he can win. And he elaborated.
Newt Gingrich was next. As far as I could tell, he didn't answer it. Not even close. He went to his talking points and a closing speech.
Romney, possibly taking Newt's lead and seeing King didn't call him on it, did the same thing. Not even close to the question. Went into talking points, highlighting his attributes compared to Obama.
King pressed him. The question was "misconceptions," he said. Romney replied, seemed surprised King held him to it, but not Gingrich.
Romney said something like: "You get to choose the questions and I get to choose the answers." King grinned, Cheshire cat like, and said "fair enough" and let Romney go on. More talking points.
Santorum basically answered the questions directly, reiterating Paul's point, that people don't think he can win.
So, should journalists or questioners allow officials to get away with this? Or is it OK. Are the journalist questions too leading, and if they are should, candidates be given a pass?
I have an "evil reporter" idea on this. Let the audience vote on if the candidate answered the question, and they have to keep talking until they get 50 percent who say they answered it. What do we think?
Intrigue in new political boundaries
There's a fair amount of intrigue in the redrawing of the Mankato area political boundaries via the redistricting maps that came out Tuesday.
The top ones:
Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, might either run in a primary against the less senior incumbent Republican Paul Torkelson because they're both in the same district, or might run for Republican Julie Rosen's Senate seat should she decide not to go against Republican Sen. Al DeKruif in a primary election.
St. Peter DFL Rep. Terry Morrow, if he wins, will end up representing about 4,000 people in West Mankato, the first time I can remember anyone from St. Peter or Nicollet County representing anyone from Mankato.
Morrow's new district will be interesting as well, pairing an upper income contingent of West Mankato with places like rural Le Sueur County and Kasota.
Morrow will no longer have to campaign in rural Sibley County, which from memory was probably the place that was toughest sledding for him.
Cornish told The Free Press he wasn't "ready to retire" so he'll be running somewhere, against someone.
I've talked to several political observers and many note that Rep. Cornish seems to be emerging as the "moderate" "wise old sage" of area Republicans. A few years ago, he would've been considered very conservative by the same folks.
But, as I've always said, the Mankato region is pretty "purple" -- a mix between red and blue. People vote for the person and they tend to be independent.
Cornish might note that he was related to Minnesota's last "independent" governor Jesse Ventura
This year's election also should be interesting to watch because even the incumbents have new voters who they've not had to convince in the past.
DFL Rep. Kathy Brynaert has always been elected mostly be people in Mankato city. But now she'll need to convince some folks in Eagle Lake to vote for her.
DFL Sen. Kathy Sheran also loses parts of Sibley County but picks up Kasota and Eagle Lake, both areas it seems would have a propensity to lean Democratic more than Sibley County.
The top ones:
Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, might either run in a primary against the less senior incumbent Republican Paul Torkelson because they're both in the same district, or might run for Republican Julie Rosen's Senate seat should she decide not to go against Republican Sen. Al DeKruif in a primary election.
St. Peter DFL Rep. Terry Morrow, if he wins, will end up representing about 4,000 people in West Mankato, the first time I can remember anyone from St. Peter or Nicollet County representing anyone from Mankato.
Morrow's new district will be interesting as well, pairing an upper income contingent of West Mankato with places like rural Le Sueur County and Kasota.
Morrow will no longer have to campaign in rural Sibley County, which from memory was probably the place that was toughest sledding for him.
Cornish told The Free Press he wasn't "ready to retire" so he'll be running somewhere, against someone.
I've talked to several political observers and many note that Rep. Cornish seems to be emerging as the "moderate" "wise old sage" of area Republicans. A few years ago, he would've been considered very conservative by the same folks.
But, as I've always said, the Mankato region is pretty "purple" -- a mix between red and blue. People vote for the person and they tend to be independent.
Cornish might note that he was related to Minnesota's last "independent" governor Jesse Ventura
This year's election also should be interesting to watch because even the incumbents have new voters who they've not had to convince in the past.
DFL Rep. Kathy Brynaert has always been elected mostly be people in Mankato city. But now she'll need to convince some folks in Eagle Lake to vote for her.
DFL Sen. Kathy Sheran also loses parts of Sibley County but picks up Kasota and Eagle Lake, both areas it seems would have a propensity to lean Democratic more than Sibley County.
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