Recently, I posted the Associated Press Managing Editors’ Statement of Ethical Principles. They don’t cover every circumstance, nor need they do so. One applies ordinary principles of reasoning, fairness, and composition to a critique. One need be nothing special; it is enough to read and write.
I have been a critic of the Whitewater Register, and in this post, I’ll offer an example of how that paper continues to fail the community it professes to serve. (As though, by the way, the paper’s actions were altruistic service; if I’m not mistaken, the Southern Lakes chain of which it is part is a for-profit enterprise. Service would imply some professional, if not altruistic, standards. I’m not convinced.)
In the February 26th issue of the Register, inside the paper, one finds a story entitled, “Hixson testifies on autism bill before insurance committee.” The story refers to local Wisconsin representative Kim Hixson (D-43), and his testimony on behalf of a bill that would require extension of insurance benefits to those diagnosed with autism.
I’ll leave it to others to debate the merits of extending coverage by law. For now, I wish to remark on the story as journalism, not as public policy.
The story, and accompanying photo, do not seem to have begun life as a story at the Register, as one can guess by the designation “submitted photo” and the lack of a byline. There’s another reason I think so – I have a copy of Hixson’s legislative press release, on his official stationery, dated February 23, 2009. Aside from a few changes to capitalization, the release and story in the Register are the same. See for yourself:
I cannot fault Hixson for any of this – politicians send out press releases all the time. It would only be odd if he didn’t send out a release.
The problem rests with the Register: running a politician’s release without a single question, additional source for or against, &c. Nothing – cut and paste isn’t reporting, or journalism, or service to this community. There’s no designation that says plainly, “This is a press release, from Rep. Hixson, dated so-and-so.” That would be awkward, but at least candid.
The Register’s practice does benefit the Register, however. There’s space to fill, to support ads (often for out-of-town concerns). Simply stuffing a politician’s release on a page, without any real reporting around it, benefits the Register as an advertising delivery vehicle.
This practice is also a shoddy departure from real journalism, and fails our community.