10-16-2010 KSHB'S MEDINA SHINES; KC STAR IGNORES MAJOR STORY How can a TV station do a full report on the tragic death of a husband & wife in a horrific accident, but the story does not even rate a mention in the Kansas City Star newspaper? (see previous story of KMBC's scoop on original story) Christina Medina at KSHB, KC's NBC affiliate, did a comprehensive story (right) of a recently-retired Leawood couple, Ed and Joann Walden, who were killed in a head-on collision in Louisiana on Thursday morning. Medina interviewed neighbors for the piece and even gathered background footage of the accident. In the Star's Saturday edition---two days after the accident--not a word has been printed yet on the story. Sad commentary on newspaper journalism today.
10-18-2010 NOT A NEWS STORY "were these people who died friends of yours? That's the only thing that would explain your harping on it. Not every auto fatality gets the coverage you seem to be seeking. In the scheme of things, this is a minor story, and does not merit your conclusion that it signals the death of newspaper journalism in Kansas City."
10-19-2010 EX-STAR REPORTER RESPONDS "The "Not a News Story" response to BLC's item about this tragedy is not just nasty; it's downright ignorant.I was a reporter at The Star for 20 years during which I covered a fair share of auto accidents. The unwritten rule about vehicular fatalities in which the victim(s) are non-public figures, which I assume is still in effect at The Star, is that some will rise above brief status if there are major tragic elements. The Walden tragedy is definitely one of those types of stories. "It is not a "minor" story. It is what I used to hear Star editors call "a reader", A couple, married for who knows how many years, celebrates their retirement by driving across the country to see states they have never been to and then are killed instantly in an accident with a dump truck that apparently lost one of its wheels. This is a story that people all around the metro area will be talking about. "I don't read The Star much these days and am fairly far removed from the news industry. I only learned about this story on BLC. But if BLC is correct in that The Star only had one story about this tragedy on its Web site and nothing in the printed version, then it is a very sad commentary on the paper. "I can't help but wonder if this story would have garnered more ink if The Star newsroom was operating at its pre-2008 staffing levels. When there are more reporters that are talking to sources and covering beats and more editors to receive news tips and monitor the never-ending flow of news, stories like this one are less likely to slip through the proverbial cracks. "All the Gold Cup Awards will not erase the negative perception that the community will have of its daily newspaper if it fails to cover stories like this one. Kudos to BLC for "harping" on this story." ---Mike Rice, Kansas City, Mo.
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