Last Updated: May 26, 1999
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A The
Dallas Morning News (Arnold Hamilton)
Good lede; good story structure; clean, easy-to-read with a definite
rhythm to the writing; covered all the facts and told story in engaging,
compelling manner; great detail.
AThe New York Times (Jo Thomas)
Excellent reporting; lots of detail, lots of context; exhaustive background
on the bombing with details not contained in other stories; overly wordy
(49 words) lede.
B+The Associated Press (Steven
Paulson/Michael Fleeman)
Good, efficient writing; covered news, what’s next and reaction very
quickly; p.m. version was fast and surprisingly complete (13th lede writethru,
which moved 71 minutes after verdict, covered everything); neither story,
however, spelled out the 11 charges McVeigh was convicted of.
B+The Philadelphia Inquirer (Gwen
Florio)
Good, descriptive writing; good color; nice scene setting; concisely
told evidence presented in case; too wordy lede (44 words).
B+The Washington Post (Lois Romano
and Tom Kenworthy)
Good straightforward lede; good detail; good wrapup of trial testimony.
B+The Boston Globe (Lynda Gorov)
Lede backed into the news; offered good summary of the defense up high;
the weather report conclusion didn’t work; looks ahead well to next phase.
BChicago Tribune (Maurice Possley)
Solid, straightforward report; good recap of trial; good legal analysis;
good detail; clear writing; lacked the human element; no quotes or comments
from survivors or victim’s families, only attorneys.
BDetroit Free Press (Tim Doran)
Assumed readers already knew verdict and took second-day approach in
lede, focusing on penalty phase; good effort to offer editors an alternative
to straight news story.
BLos Angeles Times (Richard A.
Serrano)
44-word lede too long but it did spin story forward by looking ahead
to death-penalty phase; lacked human element high; lawyers’ reaction played
above that of victims’ families; clearly stated charges against McVeigh
and was only paper to identify the eight federal agents killed.
BScripps Howard News Service (Karen
Abbott and Lynn Bartels)
Good narrative; good summary; snappy, staccato-style writing; lacked
the detail of some other stories.
B–The Kansas City Star (Scott
Canon)
News right up front; good background; took too long to get to reaction/human
element; too much "process" too high.
CHouston Chronicle (Kim Cobb)
Matter of fact; too routine in tone; lacked details on charges McVeigh
was convicted of; reaction and what’s next covered high.
CFort Worth Star-Telegram (Jack
Douglas Jr.)
Workmanlike; slow to get to what will happen next; story’s structure
left committee members feeling "whipsawed’’ as it bounced from Denver to
Oklahoma City back to Washington back to Denver; decent details on sentencing
phase.
CReuters (Ellen Wulfhorst)
Very straight report didn’t capture the drama of the event.
