Published: August 03, 1999
Last Updated: January 03, 2000
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Table 42 NEWS JUDGMENTS Imagine that a family were involved in a tragedy - such as a child's drowning or a fatal car accident -- and they asked the newspaper reporter on the scene to please keep the story out of the paper In your opinion, do you think that the newspaper should respect the family's wishes for privacy, or should it report the story so that the public is informed of the event?" Total Public Respect family wish and not report 75% Report story 14 It depends/don't know/not sure 11 "You’ve an editor who’s assigned a reporter to cover the story of a potential drowning in a local gravel pit, where some kids had been diving and swimming. After talking with two sets of obviously-distraught parents for about two hours, the bodies of both of their children are recovered. The reporter tells you that one of the mothers begged him to please keep the story out of the paper entirely. What do you do?" Total Newsroom Respect the family's desire and not publish the story 1% Publish the story including report of the mother's plea 31 Publish the story but not mention the mother's plea 62 Not sure 6 "What if, instead, the mother asked only not to mention her dead son’s name in the story. What do you do?" Total Newsroom Publish the story, withholding the single name 19% Publish the story but publish both children's names 71 Not publish the story < Not sure 10