Explain Yourself ...

An update, Texas connection

Barry Bearak, the New York Times reporter held in Zimbabwe, has been freed and charges have been dropped.

We noted his capture earlier, and the Texas connection: His wife, Celia, is the daughter of Ronnie Dugger, a founder of the Texas Observer.

As Times editor Bill Keller said, Bearak was arrested for just doing his job. He's headed home now.

Perhaps it's also worth noting that an AP photographer has also been freed from captivity. The case is a little different, though. He was held for two years by the United States ...

--Rex Seline

In the spotlight

My boss, Jim Witt, often tells reporters that it would be valuable for them to be interviewed for publication. It's different when you're fielding questions, rather than asking them, and the experience provides useful perspective on the process. (As editors, we sometimes have that pleasure.)

Dennis Ryerson, the editor of the Indianapolis Star, wrote this weekend about that very topic. He had fielded complaints from sources about how some of his reporters handled interviews. His response is interesting and worth reading. It may give sources and potential sources a better perspective on the role of the reporter.

--Rex Seline

Fame, of a sort ...

The Freedom Forum is opening a new museum in Washington dedicated to journalism. The aptly named Newseum features exhibits about newsgathering from the frivolous to the poignant.

One prominent display is a news helicopter, built by Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth and painted in the colors of NBC5, the local affiliate. The Washington Post has a photo of the copter, hanging in the exhibit space. It accompanies an article about the space being used -- for a price -- for fancy DC parties.

--Rex Seline

Breaking news ...

I have a theory about journalists. There are three primary motivations for getting into this profession:

--You want to make the world a better place, chiefly by identifying the problems and solutions.

--You like to tell stories. You're a raconteur.

--You like to be the first to tell people news. You're a news junkie.

We all mix strains of those, but I would guess I fall primarily in the third category. Alas, for most of my time in this business, newspapers have ceded immediate coverage of breaking news to broadcast or cable TV. We have owned context and depth, explaining the events you might see as they happen on TV. And we cover the important and interesting stuff that isn't always visual. In addition, we often break news with enterprising journalism. (In these cases, we often see our TV colleagues catch up the next day, standing in front of some official building echoing the news we put in print earlier.)

Of course, that's not the same as going live with a spot news event.

But the world is changing. And as we head into spring storm season, it's a good time to take note. With our Web site and digital storytelling, we can be as live and local as anyone. And with our much larger staff -- and our larger base of readers -- we can actually cover more territory with greater detail than our broadcast colleagues.

Yes, they've invested millions in radar and meteorological staff. They're good at that, and we applaud them. But if you want to know about your neighborhood or city, we're more likely to be there. And if you want to tell us or show us your neighborhood or city, drop us an e-mail or add a comment to our blogs.

Don't worry, we're still going to paint the bigger picture -- with depth and context -- in print. That's where we'll sort through the many feeds to provide the best, most relevant information you need to know. And we're still going to be the best watchdog, looking out for your interests while providing enterprising news.

But yep, it's fun to be the first to actually tell you breaking news, as it happens. Watch our Web site.

--Rex Seline

 

Snow daze

There's something about snow in Texas. It starts to fall, and the energy picks up in the newsroom.

Perhaps it has something to do with the rarity of snow. Perhaps it has to do with scale and severity. A weather event encompasses the region, so everyone is involved and interested. But while snow and ice do pose a threat, with bad roads and the like, the risk is relatively manageable. The danger is less urgent than it can be with thunderstorms, floods, hail, tornadoes and hurricanes. So it's a good news story to cover, all things considered.

Our crew did a great job yesterday and overnight, online and in print. For a quick taste, check out the photos from all over. And what a great headline on 1A: "Snow angels, devilish traffic."

--Rex Seline

Close to home ...

One measure of news is impact: What does this mean to me?

It's fair to say that many of our readers will have little interest in the realignment of districts announced today by the University Interscholastic League. But for high school students and their families, it is a very big deal. There will be new rivals, and old rivalries will fade. Some schools will have to learn the routes to new stadiums, and some of those are pretty distant. Abilene, for instance, is in a district with Burleson, Richland, Haltom City, North Crowley, Weatherford and Paschal.

Sure, teams and team parents will feel the impact directly. But so will band members and parents (halftime shows, if nothing else), as well as participants in other competitive endeavors.

You'll read a lot more about it online and in the Saturday paper because, by our definition at least, it is important news.

--Rex Seline 

Changes in Work & Money ...

We'll be making some changes in the Work & Money section Sunday. We're moving some of our regular Monday features to Sunday. In turn, the Wall Street Journal Sunday section will no longer appear in the Star-Telegram.

Frankly, we like the Wall Street Journal content. It's excellent personal finance news and information. And it has fans among our readers. But for whatever reason, it never quite attracted the broader audience that we had hoped might find it useful. Perhaps some readers didn't realize that the Journal content was very useful and oriented toward "your money."

In any case, we're opting to use our resources -- newsprint -- for more local copy. The Monday section will also retain its local focus, as well as some of its popular features.

Steve Kaskovich, our assistant managing editor/business, will be fielding e-mails (and calls) on Monday from any readers curious about the change.

--Rex Seline.

Story-telling ...

There was a time -- not so long ago -- when we had a fairly limited set of tools to use in telling a story. We learned to use them well, but it limited us on some stories. The Web has given us new tools.

From the latest news cycle, consider the story of the Watauga police chase in which an officer collided with a motorcycle. We can describe it in print, but the web allows us to actually post the dash cam video. Alas, the video alone would not explain the odd fact that it was apparently leaked to a web site. The police did not release the video when we asked for it under the Freedom of Information Act.

In pairing words and images -- across two platforms -- we can do a better job of telling the story for the readers. Good work by Melissa Vargas.

-- Rex Seline

Mall mayhem ...

The shootings at a mall in Omaha touched a nerve here in Fort Worth. We recall a similar tragedy at Wedgewood Baptist Church. Some of us have even closer connections; I was born in Omaha, I still have family there, and I have shopped at that mall.

From a journalistic perspective, it's worth noting one of the challenges in covering such tragedies: The initial curiosity is about the shooter, but you don't want to focus on the shooter to the exclusion of the victims. That challenge is heightened when authorities are slow to release the names of the victims, as they have been in Omaha.

The authorities are justifiably trying to be sensitive to the kin. But we have found that families often want the stories of the victims shared, too. In the end, the families don't want the spotlight solely on the shooter, and telling the stories of the victims is one way to begin the grieving process.

As journalists, we also want to share the stories of courage in the face of tragedy. We've already heard a few stories from Omaha about store employees and shoppers shepherding people to safety in back rooms. I'm sure more will come out.

If Wedgewood is a guide, Omaha will find a way to mourn and heal. My thoughts are with the residents there today.

--Rex Seline

   

Blame the messenger ...

I was a distant observer as the college coaching carousel spun last weekend. One aspect of it bears mention here, in a blog about journalism. Les Miles, the LSU coach, called an unusual, brief press conference to announce that he had not made a decision to leave LSU for his alma mater, Michigan. He later elaborated, saying that he would not be leaving LSU.

Miles was reacting to an ESPN report from Kirk Herbstreit that he would leave. The report apparently unsettled LSU, hours before it was to play for the conference championship. Miles moved to quell the concern. He was angry. The LSU athletic director followed up with his own blast: "It's a crock. How do these people get away with this?"

I have no idea who Herbstreit's sources were. But as tempting as it may be, you might pause before you jump on the blame-the-irresponsible-media bandwagon. The media do make mistakes. Herbstreit, it turns out, was wrong. He may have misunderstood something his sources said. I doubt that he simply made it up.

More likely, his sources were "wrong." And in this case, that word has shades of meaning. Many coaches, athletic directors and university presidents play the game: They establish plausible deniability. No offer has been officially made. No offer has been officially accepted. No "direct" contact has been made. Intermediaries are involved. Contact is couched and conditional: If they make an offer, would you be interested? Nothing official, mind you. But suddenly, there's the new coach, standing at a press conference with the university tie around his neck, saying how excited he is to be at State U. And plenty of people along the way -- university officials, big boosters, agents, other coaches -- knew what was going on. Some of them talk. Sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes coaches change their minds.

Is that what happened with Miles? I don't know. Herbstreit may have simply blown it. But the scenario plays out often. And many coaches who vent their frustrations on the media would have a hard time passing a polygraph. A year ago, Nick Saban said publicly he was staying with the Miami Dolphins, until he showed up at Alabama to accept the job there.

All of the attention makes it imperative for journalists to be very careful. But careful readers and viewers should also know that many coaches who express shock and dismay at such leaks are also playing a game, and I'm not referring to football.

--Rex Seline