The “former Iowan” in every story: front page news?
Posted on August 3, 2007 in Media by DM
I’m waffling on something right now. And that is the Register’s desire to always find someone connected - in practically any way - with a tragedy or disaster. Today I’m talking specifically about the headline on Thursday’s front page, “Valley graduate has close call,” in connection with the Minneapolis bridge disaster - but we see this kind of reporting all the time in the Register and have for years. It seems that the paper feels it’s front-page stuff to find a former Iowan close to a disaster and tell “their story.” Even if there isn’t a story.
In this case, a young woman who graduated from Valley High School here was no doubt terrified being in close proximity to the Minneapolis bridge moments before it collapsed - but she was not on the bridge when it fell and was not injured. She did not actually see what happened.
I understand that there is value in an actual eyewitness account of an event. I’m also certain that this Valley graduate is a fine young woman - probably deserving of a newspaper article for much bigger things than not being the victim of a disaster. But again: she wasn’t on the bridge, wasn’t hurt, didn’t actually see what happened. These sorts of “close call” stories just seem like a wasted effort to me.
So how about it - am I just extra crabby for some reason? Looking for something to complain about? Or is this “former Iowan” angle being pursued at the expense of real news?
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4 comments to “The “former Iowan” in every story: front page news?”
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The Register is trying to emphasize the Iowa angle–which is hypocritical in a way (after all, it IS owned by an out-of-state company, Gannett, based in Virginia). Somehow, the people who produce the Register have gotten the notion that Iowans only care about other Iowans and don’t care about other people in the United States or the world. Has occurred to the folks at the once-great Register, which was once a great newspaper, which once won more than its share of Pulitzer prizes and lived up to the slogan “The Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon”? that there are other choices for its readers, such as the internet, DM Cityview, the Chicago Tribune, the Omaha World-Herald (a very good newspaper for western Iowa news!!!), USA Today (owned by the same company which owns the Register), the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the Kansas City Star? Savvy readers will go to those publications for alternative points of view.
Articles should be stories, I think. And the best stories are about interesting people doing interesting things in interesting places. Most likely you’re right - this woman does have an interesting angle to her life, though this wasn’t one of them.
When a newspaper forgets why people read might it, it will lose circulation. You’re not being crabby - there were other stories more engaging and important than this one.
Brett & Joel, thanks for weighing in here… I understand what they’re doing, it just feels kind of “tacked on” or after-thoughty, or “let’s fill this space with ANYTHING that ties this story to Iowa.” Sometimes that just feels like a painful stretch.
and trust me - they (not just the DM print media - but ALL media - everywhere) forego LEGITIMATE local angles for more sensational/tragic/sell-more-paper stories. frustrating!