In an eight-day period beginning Feb. 25, The San Diego Union-Tribune devoted three stories totaling 63 paragraphs to a La Jolla woman who was arrested by police investigating a noise complaint. Witnesses alleged police used excessive force.
Between March 2 and March 8, the newspaper carried three stories, a total of 34 paragraphs, about two teen-agers killed in a shootout in the Lincoln Park area. The stories appeared three days in a row.
Though dissimilar events, the disparity in space allocated to the incidents got my attention even though I suspect the last word has yet to be written about either case. In fact, Ellen Bevier, one of the Union-Tribune’s two metro editors, said a reporter was asked on Thursday to follow up on the Lincoln Park incident “in terms of the two boys and what is happening in the neighborhood.”
It was the reporter’s first day on a new assignment to write about the diverse San Diego neighborhoods. The goal of reporters covering those communities is to “tell the human story of San Diego beyond boards and commissions,” according to a newsroom mission statement. “We want readers to share in the many compelling stories . . . of success and sorrow . . . within the neighborhoods of San Diego.”
Those reporters have a tough job. They must erase the perception, whether accurate or not, that the newspaper does not care about less affluent neighborhoods, especially those south of Interstate 8.
Editors say that perception is mistaken. The newspaper’s awareness of its diverse communities is exemplified by the recent reorganization to cover the human stories in central San Diego neighborhoods. Also, Todd Merriman, senior editor for news, reminded me of the Union-Tribune’s thorough coverage of the death of Willie Jones, the Lincoln High School honor student bound for Cornell University until he was killed in a drive-by shooting on graduation night in 1994.
As for the latest events, as a journalist, I know two elements, allegations of excessive force and the resulting internal investigation by police, made the La Jolla incident a story. Of course, it’s titillating that a La Jolla resident was involved; I’m sure it added to reader and the newspaper’s interest. Yet, I am convinced the Union-Tribune will cover any similar incident resulting in an internal police investigation no matter where it occurs providing reporters know about it and can verify it. In this case, the newspaper was tipped off by witnesses and obtained confirmation from police.
That said, I also wanted to know more, much more, about the two teen-agers killed during what was described as a gunbattle that started in the Lincoln Park area just before 5 p.m. on March 1. As a reader, I didn’t want to wait for the information. The first story the next day, which included a small photograph, said the gunbattle broke out among 10 to 15 youths and San Diego police were unsure how many were armed. The dead were not identified.
That whetted my appetite for more information, but when I looked for new details on March 3, I was disappointed to see only a four-paragraph story that said police had arrested three teen-agers but were not releasing their names or those of the victims. I thought about people in the area and wondered how I would feel if there had been a gunbattle in my neighborhood.
On March 2, a reporter went to the shooting site and interviewed the mother of one of the boys and, through information from a youth leader, was able to track down the family of the second youngster, Bevier said. “We continued to be concerned about the deaths of two unnamed teen-agers,” she said.
The resulting story a week ago was, by far, the most comprehensive about the gunbattle and its aftermath. It said “gang detectives are still sorting out what happened.” It also said that one of the groups had BB guns; the other firearms.
On Thursday, homicide Lt. Mike Hurley said investigators have determined the victims were not documented gang members. Last Monday’s story also said police do not know whether the dead youths were armed.
The story about the Lincoln Park incident, which prompted strong reaction in the community, got more space than a shooting the same night in National City which police said was gang-related. That incident was covered in three paragraphs two days later. Both cases involved people confronting each other as contrasted with the Willie Jones story, in which the victim was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
As for the Lincoln Park incident, Bevier put it this way: “We’ve covered the crime, and now we are looking at the circumstances. All of which seems to me to be rather standard journalistic practice.”
Bevier’s response that more reporting is under way is reassuring. Many questions remain unanswered.
Gina Lubrano’s column commenting on the media appears Mondays. It is the policy of The San Diego Union-Tribune to correct all errors. To discuss accuracy or fairness in the news, please write to Gina Lubrano, readers representative, Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191, or telephone (619) 293-1525. Send e-mail to:
readers.rep@uniontrib.com.
Copyright 2002 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
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