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Hiccup on teen mom feature ...

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by MCappy, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Yeah, I get that. If your only duty was to what the readers "want," Charlie Sheen would be all five stories on A1 across America every day this month. But I think, for the most part - and I have to hedge because obviously it can be a case-by-case thing, readers>sources.
     
  2. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    If journalists only worried about their duty to society and the truth, no one would accept a job covering high-school athletes to begin with.
     
  3. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    But you have to understand there is a line between the private life of a private citizen and a person committing a crime or a public figure.
     
  4. ThomsonONE

    ThomsonONE Member

    If the uncle is the father, without mentioning that you have no story. Whatever you would write is misleading to your readers.
     
  5. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    To me, you have two options:

    1) Write the story, and include the part about the uncle.

    or 2) Don't write the story.

    Both are fine choices, but I don't really see a journalistically sound option 3.
     
  6. BillyT

    BillyT Active Member

    I disagree with those who say you have to ID the father.

    It's a story either way.
     
  7. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    A high school girl with a kid -- even one succeeding in athletics -- isn't exactly fresh and groundbreaking.

    You could write it, but that's like writing a crime story on a guy accused of robbing a convenience store and leaving out that he shot the clerk.
     
  8. J-School Blue

    J-School Blue Member

    This. Either way, this isn't a feel-good feature you might've thought you were walking into.

    I think the question you have to ask yourself is, "Is this news?" How does reporting on this serve your readers?

    My personal answer would be, "No." But it's a call I'm glad I don't have to make. I feel for the girl.

    ETA: If you've got reasonably active reader comments, this will be dredged up by the trolls that inhabit them, whether it's mentioned in the story of not. I would almost guarantee this.
     
  9. jps5226

    jps5226 New Member

    I can't see anyway this story could be written without mentioning the uncle is the father. Like others have said, the teen/high school/college parent isn't exactly a ground-breaking story. If it was, I'd be able to hand in 15 separate features to my editor all on the same subject.
     
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