July 6, 1998
Vol. 10, No. 14

LAPSES IN INTEGRITY GENERATE UNWANTED HEAT IN A SLOW TIME

Journalism 101 seems forgotten in a rising tide of indiscretions

As often happens, the ball bounced in a direction that was unexpected.

I became convinced a few weeks ago that little would be happening in the newspaper industry in late June and so made a command decision: We'd devote the entire first issue in July (the one you're reading at this second) to coverage of three important conferences – Gannett Co. Inc.'s annual mid-year media stock analysts' meeting in New York, the Connections new media conference and the co-op conference (the latter two both sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America and held in Orlando, Fla.).

Inside, you'll find that reportage – three strong stories, no question. Unfortunately for me, though, as June wound down to July, the newspaper business went through not one, but two, crises of confidence:

  • First, the Boston Globe revealed that an investigation of all its columnists had uncovered some inconsistencies in reporting done by Patricia Smith, who resigned from the paper June 18.

    Smith, a lyrical writer who infused her columns with street patois, had written pieces that were strong, with the point-of-view that all research tells us our readers desire. Sadly, Smith apparently felt compelled to invent characters and dialog to enliven her writings.

    In her farewell column, she expressed regret at having toyed with her readers' confidence. She had lost her editors' confidence: Globe Editor Matthew Storin urged the American Society of Newspaper Editors to rescind its 1998 Distinguished Writing Award given to Smith. The organization, in an unprecedented action, did so June 25 (none of the award-winning writings was among those suspected of invention).

  • A series investigating perceived poor business practices at Cincinnati-based Chiquita Brands International Inc. – the banana people – that ran in early May in the Cincinnati Enquirer was apparently based in part on voice mail messages that the story's lead reporter is now alleged to have stolen.

    On June 28, the paper retracted the stories and ran an apology signed by Publisher Harry Whipple and Editor Lawrence Beaupre, in which they said the reporter, Mike Gallagher, had assured his editors that a source had given the paper the voice mail tapes. Chiquita insisted that the tapes had been stolen, and after an investigation by the paper, Gallagher was fired. The paper will pay Chiquita $10 million to settle any legal claims.

    On June 29, the Enquirer said it had been served subpoenas from a special prosecutor who is investigating whether Chiquita had been a victim of theft. The paper declined to say who had been called.

    These two stories are played against a larger backdrop of concern about journalistic integrity. Only weeks earlier, a writer for the New Republic had been unmasked as an inventor of people and quotes. And a piece researched in tandem by reporters from Time Warner Inc.'s Cable News Network and Time magazine about the use of deadly nerve gas during the Vietnam war is now under investigation by both CNN and Time, following an outcry from the military.

    This is Journalism 101, folks – you don't make up quotes, you don't make up people, you don't steal things. And because these issues are so basic, maybe today's editors and publishers don't stress them enough. If you are the editor of your paper, maybe you should just stroll right out to the newsroom now – clamber up on a desk and give a little speech.

    A journalist has to be like Caesar's wife: above reproach.


    Housekeeping notes: It is with a degree of pride that I'd like to welcome back Correspondent Jon Fine.

    The former editor of NewsInc., Fine had left our merry band of crazies a few months back for an opportunity that we couldn't begrudge him. Unfortunately for Jon, that opportunity didn't work out. Fortunately for us, Jon wanted to come back – and we're happy to have him (you can see his sterling writing on Page 2).

    In this world of confidence-rattling reporters, I'm glad to have Fine back.

    – David M. Cole

    Inside ...

    From NEWSINC., July 6, 1998, Copyright © 1998, The Cole Group. All Rights Reserved.

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