-----Original Message-----
From: Holden, Ben - Columbus
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 12:58 PM
To: 'Ken Clark'
Cc: Canepa, Valerie - Columbus
Subject: Newspapering
Ken:
Ironic, huh? I have a standing rule against putting the D-Word (as in Depression) in a headline, but sometimes the news just seems to justify a full-throated scream. I'll take a look at it and see if we need to dial it back. Thanks for the note. Best, Ben
-v-
Ben Holden
Executive Editor
Ledger-Enquirer
(706) 571-8560 - Phone
(706) 576-6290 - Fax
www.ledger-enquirer.com
bholden@ledger-enquirer.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Clark [mailto:kenclark75@pstel.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 6:07 PM
To: Holden, Ben - Columbus
Cc: Canepa, Valerie - Columbus
Subject: Newspapering
Ben, a couple of days ago you wrote an excellent column pointing out that now is the time to remain cool and not panic where the economy is concerned. Did you forget to show it to your headline writers?
Would still like to have that lunch at some point.
Ken Clark
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
There You Go Again
Mr. and Ms. Backman:
Thank you for your note. We get this complaint fairly routinely -- balanced of course, by complaints from many in our community who believe we go overboard with race-based reporting and in fact place the faces of minority criminal defendants in prominent display for improper reasons. As the editor, of course, my job is to defend against not just bias or "political correctness" but also the perception of both.
That said, because this issue seems to be of great importance to you, I assume you merely missed the following recent examples of our cops reporting doing exactly what you claim we don't do:
1. Today's paper, Page A6: "The suspect is described as a black man, age 20-30, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds.
2. Yesterday's paper, Page A4: "The suspect is described as a black man, standing 6-foot-2, weighing 190 pounds and wearing a a black, sleveless T-shirt, black pants and a black ski mask."
3. Thursday Oct. 2, Page A5: "The suspect is described as a 5-foot-7 inch to 5-foot 9-inch black man in his 20s."
Our policy is to include descriptions of race as part of descriptions that may help police catch criminals and protect citizens. When we have a description we print it. Our standard is two visible characteristics plus race, or one really unique and visible one plus race. "The suspect was white" is not a description in my view. You may disagree, which is OK by me.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to the mailroom.
Ben
-v-
Ben Holden
Vice President & Executive Editor
Ledger-Enquirer
(706) 571-8560 - Phone
(706) 576-6290 - Fax
www.ledger-enquirer.com
bholden@ledger-enquirer.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Vada [mailto:vbackman@mchsi.com]
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 11:43 PM
To: Canepa, Valerie - Columbus; Riquelmy, Alan - Columbus; Holden, Ben - Columbus
Subject: There you go again...
You guys really need to be taken to the woodshed on this one. Did any of you attend Journalism
School or did you work your way up from the mailroom? When identifying a suspect in a crime, RACE is integral to a description of the suspect. It is not racist to identify the race of a suspect. Race is a FACT. Racial identification could prevent an innocent person from being falsely arrested. If dark clothing and dark sunglasses are important...so is dark skin...or light skin. Honestly, I have seen this so many times before in your paper...I am not letting it go this time. If I saw someone with silver teeth and contacted the police, I would feel horrible if I incorrectly fingered a suspect of the wrong color. In the words of Sgt. Joe Friday..."Just the facts, Ma'am." Stop letting YOUR racial sensitivities interfere with reporting the news.
Vada and George Backman
-v-
HERE'S THE STORY:
A late night run to the border Sunday turned into an armed robbery at a Taco Bell.
The robbery happened when a man pulled into the drive-thru at 2:18 a.m. in a small, dark car with blue neon lighting inside, said Columbus Police Sgt. Frank Massa. The driver ordered some food from the 3527 Macon Road restaurant and then pulled up to the window.
"When he got to the window to pay for it, and the guy opened the register, that's when he robbed him," Massa said.
The suspect is described as a man in his 20s, wearing dark clothes, dark sunglasses and having silver teeth (Ed note: Red highlight emphasis was added by emailer). He had some type of handgun, Massa said.
"No injuries reported, and no shots fired," the sergeant added.
Alan Riquelmy
Thank you for your note. We get this complaint fairly routinely -- balanced of course, by complaints from many in our community who believe we go overboard with race-based reporting and in fact place the faces of minority criminal defendants in prominent display for improper reasons. As the editor, of course, my job is to defend against not just bias or "political correctness" but also the perception of both.
That said, because this issue seems to be of great importance to you, I assume you merely missed the following recent examples of our cops reporting doing exactly what you claim we don't do:
1. Today's paper, Page A6: "The suspect is described as a black man, age 20-30, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds.
2. Yesterday's paper, Page A4: "The suspect is described as a black man, standing 6-foot-2, weighing 190 pounds and wearing a a black, sleveless T-shirt, black pants and a black ski mask."
3. Thursday Oct. 2, Page A5: "The suspect is described as a 5-foot-7 inch to 5-foot 9-inch black man in his 20s."
Our policy is to include descriptions of race as part of descriptions that may help police catch criminals and protect citizens. When we have a description we print it. Our standard is two visible characteristics plus race, or one really unique and visible one plus race. "The suspect was white" is not a description in my view. You may disagree, which is OK by me.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to the mailroom.
Ben
-v-
Ben Holden
Vice President & Executive Editor
Ledger-Enquirer
(706) 571-8560 - Phone
(706) 576-6290 - Fax
www.ledger-enquirer.com
bholden@ledger-enquirer.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Vada [mailto:vbackman@mchsi.com]
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 11:43 PM
To: Canepa, Valerie - Columbus; Riquelmy, Alan - Columbus; Holden, Ben - Columbus
Subject: There you go again...
You guys really need to be taken to the woodshed on this one. Did any of you attend Journalism
School or did you work your way up from the mailroom? When identifying a suspect in a crime, RACE is integral to a description of the suspect. It is not racist to identify the race of a suspect. Race is a FACT. Racial identification could prevent an innocent person from being falsely arrested. If dark clothing and dark sunglasses are important...so is dark skin...or light skin. Honestly, I have seen this so many times before in your paper...I am not letting it go this time. If I saw someone with silver teeth and contacted the police, I would feel horrible if I incorrectly fingered a suspect of the wrong color. In the words of Sgt. Joe Friday..."Just the facts, Ma'am." Stop letting YOUR racial sensitivities interfere with reporting the news.
Vada and George Backman
-v-
HERE'S THE STORY:
A late night run to the border Sunday turned into an armed robbery at a Taco Bell.
The robbery happened when a man pulled into the drive-thru at 2:18 a.m. in a small, dark car with blue neon lighting inside, said Columbus Police Sgt. Frank Massa. The driver ordered some food from the 3527 Macon Road restaurant and then pulled up to the window.
"When he got to the window to pay for it, and the guy opened the register, that's when he robbed him," Massa said.
The suspect is described as a man in his 20s, wearing dark clothes, dark sunglasses and having silver teeth (Ed note: Red highlight emphasis was added by emailer). He had some type of handgun, Massa said.
"No injuries reported, and no shots fired," the sergeant added.
Alan Riquelmy
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