REFLECTIONS
A reader had barely suggested that as a weekly newspaper we should focus less on breaking news when an article showed up in my email on rural journalism targeted on why big news belongs on newspaper websites.
Much of what Benjy Hamm, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, suggests in his article are reasons why I have been focused on being a leader when it comes to breaking news coverage.
“But community journalists work hard day in and day out to show local residents that their newspaper and website have the best coverage of local news – better than the TV stations and the larger dailies,” Hamm wrote. “When major breaking news occurs, that’s an opportunity to reinforce… that the local news source provides unmatched coverage. If local residents can’t find information they need about breaking news events for hours, or even days, then they will learn to turn to other sources.”
In fact, one of our breaking news stories will be receiving a journalism award by the Society of Professional Journalists next week. It’s just a little reassurance we are on the right track.
First, our website allows us to essentially be a 24-hour news source. Even though we are a weekly, we do not operate as if still bound by the old newspaper production cycle. We may come out only once every seven days, but we’re working throughout the week to deliver news beyond the print edition whenever it happens.
It’s also important to understand my background. Going back to my college days, I worked at a major TV station in the Twin Cities where my job was to dispatch crews to breaking news as it was unfolding. For the first part of my career as a TV reporter, I chased down breaking news all over southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. In later years, I often became part of the breaking news as a police officer in Iowa and Minnesota. My mindset on breaking news has been molded by these experiences.
Hamm suggests that when breaking news occurs, newspapers need to treat the website as a wire service would by posting a story quickly that is accurate and clear.
I still remember getting startled with a phone call at 3:30 in the morning when I lived in Albert Lea years ago while working for KAAL-TV making me aware of something horrible that had just taken place in town. I jumped out of bed and responded to the scene immediately. Fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be quite like the caller made it sound, but the point being is that people’s curiosity goes off the charts when breaking news happens, and we have an obligation to report on it.
Over the past 15 years of owning this newspaper, we have broken two major stories on our website: the Riess murder outside of Blooming Prairie in 2018 and last spring’s bridge overpass killing in Owatonna. During both of those incidents, our website nearly blew up as we had 35,000 hits or more for each. Single items of non-breaking news status, like something as adorable as grandma’s quilting hobby, which are stories we routinely feature, will likely not ever achieve such traffic.
Getting accurate information out as quickly as possible is extremely important, especially in this day in age of social media. I can’t tell you how many times I see inaccurate information being spewed all over social media. It’s a disgrace to the families involved. It has happened recently with a couple tragedies in Steele County. For example, a few weeks ago, people were convinced someone else had died in a motor vehicle crash than the actual person involved.
To suggest we back down on breaking news would be a complete disservice to our readers. I often hear from readers who love our E-blast system that makes them aware of breaking news happening in the community. “Bring it on,” one reader told me in pumping out valuable information to readers through the electronic newsletter we provide.
As long as I’m around, we’ll be in hot pursuit of big news because it belongs on newspaper websites, even the small ones like ours.