If you saw TV coverage of meningitis victim Christin VanCamp’s press conference on Wednesday, you probably heard the cameras start clicking.
Christin is the 18-year-old Marlington High School student who contracted the same form of meningococcal disease that killed two students of West Branch High School before Memorial Day.
Christin spoke to the media before leaving Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron.
Although most of Christin’s 20-minute or so appearance was upbeat, she broke down briefly when asked about the day her parents rushed her to the hospital.
She started to cry, and the cameras clicked away. Her mother leaned over to whisper into Christin’s ear, the teen-ager regained her composure and she continued.
The photo of Christin at that emotional moment appeared on the front page of newspapers in the area; TV coverage of the press conference focused on the 30 seconds or so that she spent composing herself.
However, the Akron Beacon Journal chose not to use the emotional photo on the front page. Instead, the newspaper showed a photo of Christin and her mother, Julianne Franks, holding up a blanket inscribed with the name of Christin’s school.
The photo of Christin in tears appeared with the continuation of the story on Page A4.
The newspaper veered from the standard focus on emotion.
Photographer Jocelyn Williams didn’t think the tears “reflected the whole experience from the press conference.”
Like other still cameras at the press conference, Williams also shot the emotional scene, what she described as “an emotional moment that just hit” Christin but one that “didn’t reflect who she was.”
The reporter, Tracy Wheeler, saw the situation the same way. His story focused on Christin’s plans for the future, and made only brief note of her tears.
Robin Witek, the photo department’s assigning editor, said she discussed the photos with Williams and Wheeler.
“I think as a medium we tend to gravitate toward the extreme,” she said.
She cited as an example coverage of gay-rights marchers, which may often feature the more outlandish participants.
She recommended that the photo of Christin and her mother with the blanket be given the main prominence.
“There’s no right or wrong answer,” she said. “We’re just trying to reflect reality the best we can.”
Sit-ups by another name
A recent column on the use of trademarks discussed a story about abdominal exercises. “Phenomenal abdominals” is indeed a registered trademark for a specific exercise program.
Gloria Irwins column appears on Sundays. She can be reached at 330-996-3720 or by e-mail at girwin@thebeaconjournal.com.
