Ch. 1,5,7 from justicejournalism.org

Ch.1: The Crime Beat

The opening two paragraphs of this chapter remind me of one thing: yellow journalism.

With it's focus on sex, crime, violence and greed, yellow journalism became the norm for many papers in the early 1900s. Now, we hear stories of how yellow journalism brought down the credibility of journalists.

But in fact, it's still in our society.

And who doesn't love a good crime story? How many CSI's are there? Without a Trace? Law and Order(s)? Yes, crimes make for good stories. but please, be sensitive as a journalists. Leave the sensationalistic stories for the movie and television writers.

The crime beat is what most of us will be assigned to as reporters when we graduate. Apparently, it's part of a sink-or-swim test, where they [the employers] don't give you the lessons necessary in order to pass. Hopefully, I'll learn.

"Cops are leery of journalists, and many journalists are cynical about cops."

Yeah. That would about sum up my experience with cops. I don't like the police, but that doesn't mean that I won't deal with them...just as long as I have a notebook in my hand. We can hurt their careers, their cases. Plus, it's fun sometimes to try to get information out of a person. It sounds mean to say so, but I like the challenge.

Hm... I didn't know there was a difference b/w larceny and theft. theft is larceny without threat. hmm.

Maybe my fear of cops would disappear if I became a crime reporter. Because according to this site, reporters should go to the police centers, watch and understand the training processes, understand how weapons are used, and get to know the key players in the police department.

You shouldn't be arrested for a crime. Because that implies that you're guilty. use "on suspicion of," "in," or "in cxn with."

Being a crime reporter has serious consequences. They're at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, and 96% of journalists say that their lives were threatened on at least one occasion.

The DART center for journalism and Trama says that journalists are "fairly resilient." They suggested that newsrooms should give counseling and briefings to their crime reporters. I have to say I agree. At my internship this past summer, I mainly went out with a photographer who had seen some horrible scenes in his life: body parts all over the place, blood over car windshields. He said that he wouldn't be able to deal with it without looking through the eyepiece of the camera. I'm not sure if the station offered counseling, but even if they did, I don't know when the photographer would have time to go. Probably that why stations might not offer counseling services--their reporters and photographers are so busy during the day.

Ouch. 389 journalists were killed from 1992 to 2001. I think the first journalist to die from her reporting was in Ireland. There was a movie made about her, and I saw it in one of my first journalism classes. (after this is published, i'll think of the movie's title) Watching that movie really made me rethink why I wanted to be a journalist, and the dangers involved in the job. Sometimes I think journalists believe they are untouchable because they are journalists, but in reality, we're not.

Be careful in reporting crime stories, not only because they are sensitive matters, but because the perpetrators may have their own media agendas.

Always err on the side of caution. I think that's a standard.

Because police officers are so wary of journalists, the trend has been to only let reporters talk to public information officers. But this doesn't help us too much, because hearing directly from the cop who dealt with the case is much more informative than hearing from a secondary source.

Know the difference between private and non-private property. Generally, unless without specified permission, journalists are required to stay on public property. Kindly remind officers of your rights, but don't be too know-it-all.

Ch. 5: Covering Crime and it's victims

Interviewing the victims can make for a one-sided story, they can offer a more personal touch. They make crime real.

Don't judge the victim. If a victim was a prostitute, that doesn't in any way justify what happened to her.

When interviewing, make sure that the victim knows what on and off-the record means. I'm reminded of a Gilmore Girls episode where Lorelai is interviewed about her inn's success and ends up saying some really horrible things about her mother's managing skills, and how that influenced her. Only after the interview did Lorelai's aspiring journalist daughter tell her what on and off the record means. Turns out, a lot of the incriminating information on Lorelai's mom was used in the article because it made it interesting (while that anecdote may not have anything to do with crime or victims, it reminds me of how important it is to let sources know what on and off the record means, especially if they are not familar with the press)

Especially with crime stories, accuracy is key. You don't want to misspell a victim or the perpetrator's name. Or get your facts wrong.

When including details, especially if it's particularly graphic, make sure it's absolutely necessary to the story before including it. Otherwise, leave it out. Those details can be embarassing and may detract from the real story.

Be aware of other sources motives. For instance, you may want to interview a rights advocate. But they too have an agenda. Just make sure they don't take over the story.

Reporters are more likely to avoid covering rape stories because of the large challenge it presents and it's varied feedback. it's a sensitive, almost taboo topic in society, so covering rape stories can be difficult. Know your newsroom's ethical policies before proceeding with any sex or rape crime story.

Ch. 7: Covering the Courts

Why isn't the court system simple? Everything just sounds so complex.

okay...appellate court decides whether or not the trial court proceedings were handled properly under existing laws. Then there are "supreme" courts. State supreme courts deal with resulting trials that come out of appellate court. Some cases, like death penalty cases, can skip appeals court and go right to supreme court.

'cause that's not at all confusing. and that's only at the state level (actually, it's not all THAT confusing; it just takes awhile to settle in my brain)

When covering the courts, be patient, knowledgable, and observant. Oh, and be concise. Know what you are writing about and write without too much legal jargon. But please, don't oversimplify it. Readers don't like to think that their newspapers believe them to be children--they like to feel smart.

It's also best to understand the rhythm of what goes on it the courtroom...when judges begin making calls, take lunch breaks, etc. So you don't have to waste time waiting for answers.

Most crime movies with journalists always seem to have a scene where the journalist is told either to follow the paper or money trail. Well, real journalists do have to follow the paper--they have to read a lot. A lot of court documents, police reports, and probably a few laws.

If a paper is not in the filing room, that doesn't mean that it's not available to you. Public records are accessible. I don't know how I would feel about snooping around people's offices to get public records. Because that could be construed as a violation of private property. I would, however, feel comfortable searching online or in other public places to find the documents if I could not find them in the official filing room. Or I'd just ask whoever I think might have the document.

Docket sheets are pretty important for a journalist, I guess. I've never heard of them before, but once a case is filed, the litigation process can begin, and so the docket sheet expands. It holds contact information on every lawyer and attorney involved in the case, and anytime the case is called before a judge. Pretty darn helpful.

There are so many people in a courtroom that can help you get the information you need...from docket clerks to court reporters to baliffs. All have extensive knowledge of the legal system and might be willing to help you out, as long as you are specific enough with your questions. (I guess the really hard part is determining who does what and when is best to get in contact with them...)

Outside legal sources are always a good option. Make sure to have some of those, as they can provide objective opinions (if that's even possible)

this site says that covering a trial is like covering a sports event. I would rather think it a very wordy sports event. But yeah, it's got lots of players on different teams, all trying to score a win. I think the court systems are much more difficult than let's say, a football or soccer game. But maybe not. I only have a limited knowledge of sports and of the legal system.

Cross-examinations can be fun to listen to? Nah, I think they're interesting. Plus, they can give good information and lots of good details. These examinations elicit reactions that tell their own story, even if the verbal responses are no good. Well, that's what "Law and Order" makes me think anyways.

When speaking with judges, develop ground rules first. some will speak publicly, but I have a feeling most will want to speak off the record. And it would seem like a good idea not to break that trust, because judges could probably make a crime journalist's job even more difficult than it already is.

So basically, Justicejournalism.org's "Covering Crime" online textbook makes me wonder how crime journalists keep their sanity. They have to be smart, able to keep many cases and laws and relationships within their brain. Plus, they have to be able to quickly respond to breaking news situations. And then they have to switch their brains from legal to sympathetic when speaking to victims. Wow. And to think that newswrooms put beginning journalists on this beat. I guess you'd learn pretty quickly how to think on your feet. It'd probably help someone to become a very good journalist, if they do it right. It's like diving off a huge cliff into a rock pool. If you survive, every other task should be downright easy.

And I'm glad I don't want to be a reporter.