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No bad deed goes unpublished
Tuesday’s Record Searchlight front page headline was about a particularly ‘incendiary’ editorial (vagueness intended) that was written by the Shasta High School newspaper.
After I read the article and all of the offended and/or inflammatory comments that resulted in the Web space thereafter, I realized something:
Further reporting about something that is already offensive only serves to proliferate and diffuse the offensiveness.
Instead of two hundred potentially offended readers, there are now millions.
Yes, millions. The Record Searchlight article, “Shasta High Volcano Erupts” was picked up by the Associated Press and was published in several newsprints, internationally. A paper in France even cared to publish the story.
Though I wouldn’t necessarily like to imply that the Record Searchlight is now competing with a high school newspaper for a good story, I don’t particularly understand why the paper, acknowledging the damaging effects that the Shasta article did to those who read it, would make the discretionary call to further the damage. Now the community will be in an uproar over a once very isolated and probably misinterpreted issue.
I understand the importance of shedding light on offensive issues as to bring about positive change. In this situation, however, the Record Searchlight has just extended the role of Shasta High’s newspaper, further commencing activities that the paper denounced in the same article with various opinions and argumentation.
One part of the Record Searchlight’s article highlights that the high school’s publishing of the original news article was a “lack of news judgment.” In other words, the Record Searchlight made a [insert your adjective(s) here] “news judgment” to bring more attention to Shasta’s “lack of news judgment.”
Are we seeing the irony here?
In many ways, the negative international focus on the Shasta High article is one of Redding’s global debuts. Despite all of the great things the Redding area has to offer, Redding will now be remembered by some as that place with the faulty high school newspaper and/or high school administration.
All of this could have been avoided.
While the Record Searchlight paints itself as heroic by bringing international disgust over Shasta’s principal’s decision to deny students their right to Free Speech (even though the original RS article condemned the students), the author of the Shasta Volcano article, Connor Kennedy, couldn’t have dismissed their help more.
Connor said that his editorial was well accepted by the intended audience of high school students and that the original Shasta Volcano issue has been in Shasta’s trash and recycle bins for more than a week without any mention of any offense taken by any party.
In essence, the Record Searchlight recalled the “burning issue” — which, at the time was more “old” than “news” — to extend the editorial’s educational punch to an originally unintended audience.
In calling attention to the two-week old high school editorial, the Record Searchlight reporting staff alerted Shasta High’s officials that the Volcano’s editorial would become a heated local issue.
Consequently, the Shasta High administration had no choice but to denounce the Volcano’s article in an effort to smother the flames that would inevitably result from the Searchlight’s involvement.
Shasta High’s staff was already reconsidering the possibility of having a school newspaper for the Class of 2009 due to economic woes.
Wouldn’t the world be a lot better if people weren’t awarded attention by creating controversies?
I get the same feeling when I read articles about school shootings, frat hazing or controversial YouTube videos.
Half of these articles usually include a quote from the person who caused the original offense, claiming that he/she did it to “get a reaction” or to “get attention.” Then, after attention is given to the YouTube video, for example, five new equally or more offensive videos pop up the next day.
The latest Virginia Tech gunman referenced the Columbine shooting as an influence.
Everyone wants his or her five minutes of fame.
From my limited experience with different journalists of different agencies, it seems that many adopt the “there is no news like bad news” sentiment and feel that it is their duty to dig deep to expose every truth, and that anyone against them is infringing on their freedom of speech. The freedom of speech is one of America’s best qualities, but most Americans misinterpret the First Amendment and forget that it is a protection from the government, not from other Americans.
Just as companies are held liable for conditions, statements or products that lead to the injury or encouragement of injury to others, the media should be held responsible for providing the prize of publicity to the most careless individuals of our society, furthering the demand for future carelessness.
I realize the inherent hypocrisy within this article. I wrote a story about a story about a story. I’m sure some of you will inquire into the subject of the controversy.
Though I hope this article did not serve to “spread the offensiveness,” as I have denounced, I hope this is the piece that starts a brush fire of pieces that helps our local media understand that we are all better than this.
Rocky Slaughter is a political science student at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He is currently a law intern at a local firm and an owner of a web design company. Read his blog at http://blog.rockyslaughter.com
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Apparently you’re drinking the same anti-RS Koolaid as so many others have who post regularly on these pages. This is nothing but an attack on the paper.
The real issue is that the paper was shut down because of this story — and because of budget, something every school district is facing in these hard economic times. That rests squarely with the principal, not the RS.
If we do not call “foul” when such attempts are made to squelch our right to say what we believe, we jeopardize those rights for everyone.
And come on. You wrote, “Despite all of the great things the Redding area has to offer, Redding will now be remembered by some as that place with the faulty high school newspaper and/or high school administration.”
This issue is a flash in the pan. Nobody is going to remember the north state because of the Volcano… oh, maybe for the Mt. Shasta volcano or the Mt. Lassen volcano, but not the high school newspaper. Get serious.
The RS has made some questionable decisions, but this was not one of them.
I think the anti-RS Koolaid that your referencing is simply diminishing demand for a paper which is becoming increasingly less desirable.
To me, it kind of reminds me of a situation in which my favorite restaurant is serving worse and worse food. Everyone has experienced one of these situations.
In this scenario, I told the owner that I wish it would start serving good food again so that I wouldn’t be forced to look elsewhere.
When the owner ignores me, I try to tell him again in a more elaborate way.
The owner is still probably ignoring me.
Is it time to build a new restaurant?
Very good point Rocky. I do believe “The Searching Redlite” is in it’s death phase and should avoid all those ice bergs. It’s sad to see all of their talent being told to go. Scripp’s should have started with the former online editor, Silass Lyons.
I think Kay is right that this Volcano goof will soon be forgotten, but you can bet that Scripps-Howard will soon unload a losing paper. We may have to get our news in Redding.com and Lyons can dump out those barrels of ink and fire the rest of the staff.
Best of good luck to the young woman who wants to be editor of next year’s “Volcano”.
I have to agree with Kay. You missed the point of why this was considered “news” in the first place. And it’s pretty ignorant to put all reporters under the same weak and overly broad assumption. I don’t think you would make that claim if you knew the reporter of this article.
And you wrote: “Wouldn’t the world be a lot better if people weren’t awarded attention by creating controversies?”
Weren’t you the kid who lobbied to remove all sugar drinks from Shasta High because they were taking your soda pop machine away? And didn’t you get some press for the controversy surrounding that issue?
Regarding the Searchlight, it sounds to me like you want to complain just for the sake of complaining. Doni has every right to complain. I don’t know that you do.
Rocky, your response shows pretty clearly that you’re more interested in dissing the RS than you are in the topic of censorship and the student newspaper. Becky said it well.
People ARE given publicity for creating controversies, buddy. And sometimes those controversies change everything….like Watergate? (Not that you’re old enough to have much of a clue about that…) I’m all for unearthing the facts behind controversies, and while there’s a fine line between sensationalism and investigative reporting, I’d err on the side of TMI any time.
This opinion column was a struggle to get through.
Partly because it is horribly written (less is more, baby), and partly because I think you’re way off base.
The issue about how the administration decided to cut the Volcano following this brouhaha while citing financial reasons is a relevant story for the RS to pursue.
I don’t know you from Adam, but you look like a kid and you’re probably much younger than I am. Please take some time to live in the “real” world before you start making snap judgments about what makes a story and about reporters at the RS.
The only thing that is becoming increasingly less desireable at the Redding Record Searchlight online edition, is the Comments section.
It’s packed with un-employed, Entitlement Leftist Liberals.
All they do is sit day and night, night and day on that Comments section under almost everysingle story and Attack and Bombard every NON-Leftist Liberal that makes even the smallest comment that is not overbearingly excessivly and agressively against the Hard Left.
It’s really boring to have to read thru the tons of Pro-Left Liberal posts, day and night, night and day.
I don’t visit it much anymore, because these do nothings are always just sitting there to spew vile hate towards anyone and everyone that does not bow down to their Leftist retoric. Pathetic.
Our tax payer dollars hard at work being destructive and non-progressive.
Last post has some anger issues, Relax Francis!
Our media has shifted from the days of Edward R. Murrow and un-biasly (or at least making an attempt to) reporting the facts to more of commenting during an advertisement. Our media is selling a service in a competitive marketplace and it is a proven fact that certain types of publishing out-sell other types. Shock, sex, scandal, gossip trump facts, issues, in-depth analysis. It is a sad reflection of our society and it’s attention span. There does not seem to be any news, but simply opinion editorials about news.
At least this venue is supposed to be both opinion based and driven by the writer’s thoughts/ideas. I am not anti-RS, but I can say I am disappointed in the product that is being put out lately.
In comment to Shasta High School and the First Amendment. I am a veteran of the Gulf War and believe very strongly in the First Amendment, but I do not think the Shasta High School paper is the place for one student to freely voice their opinion. Use Myspace.com (or some other social website) to voice your opinions. The article is more of a display that there is no real control by the administration of what is published (sounds like someone needs to lose their job) other than to shut the whole thing down.
No money for journalism? Bring your computer science department together with your English department and publish an online version. This time get an editor that you can control and if they do sqeak something by you can turn them off before too many people read it.
If minors using a public entity have the ability to use the First Amendment, then they should have the right to purchase tobacco, alcohol, vote, etc. If you are not going to give them all rights that are protected under the constitution, then do not complain when they do not get one or two.
I remember when the paper was a good source of information on local events. The paper is a far cry from what it was twenty years ago. I have been a target of both sides of there reporting. I only recently accepted that what many people in the public eye have told me. The Record Searchlight reporting is nothing anyone should take seriously due to what they consider is accuarate reporting. The facts stated in that paper are often manipulated to slant the opinion of the reader rather than accurately reporting a story. I am only one of many people who will not be recieving the paper any longer as if I wanted to read such garbage I would buy it at the supermarket. I instead prefer to not do business with them as there are other avenues to advertise and they are all very hungry for business. The Record Searchlight has burned many bridges and I am just another. I now will suscribe to a more responsiable paper ie USA TODAY….Times….or do what I have been doing coming to this site more and more often.
Jim McDilda