Journalism Case Study Abstracts

Abstract
This case examines the challenges of reporting on a private individual’s sexual orientation. In March 2008, the Washington Post received a tip that Army Major Alan Rogers was the first openly gay military officer to be killed in Iraq. If true, the life story of the much-decorated and admired Major Rogers would be of significant interest to readers who follow the debate on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But as reporter Donna St. George began her reporting, she discovered a murkier reality—that while Rogers was gay, it was far from clear that he was open about it, especially to his military colleagues. Click here to get this case study now…

Post policy advised caution about identifying someone as gay who may not wish that fact to be published. Rogers had expressed no wishes on this matter. One senior editor said “the unknowable risk of dishonoring Rogers’ desires” was outweighed by the news value and public policy importance of his story. And Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr. was concerned that to report on Rogers’ death without mentioning his sexual orientation could be viewed as a major omission and could come back to haunt the Post. But to identify him as gay could violate the careful compromise by which Rogers had apparently lived his life. Ultimately, Downie had to make a decision. Click here to get this case study now…

Classroom discussion can focus on the tension between the historical record and the individual. When does one trump the other? Should a news organization embrace an opportunity to change public perception or influence public policy? What are the implications for a newspaper if it knows something to be true and does not publish it? Is that censorship, or respect for the individual? Students should come to appreciate the nuances that accompany the treatment of gender issues in news stories. They could also consider how useful editorial policy guidelines really are. Click here to get this case study now…

The case can be used in a course about reporting on gender, ethnicity or race; about editorial decisionmaking; or about ethics in journalism.

Credits
This journalism case study was written by Julia Ioffe for the Knight Case Studies Initiative, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University. The faculty sponsor was Adjunct Professor Joe Cutbirth. Funding was provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. (0709)

Copyright © 2009 The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. No part of this publication may be reproduced, revised, translated, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the written permission of the Case Studies Initiative.

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Abstract
This case examines the challenge of providing balanced coverage of a court case when the trial is about science, and the reporter believes the science on one side is flawed. In September 2005, York Daily Record reporter Lauri Lebo was assigned to cover a nationally watched local trial, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. It pitted the School Board against a group of 11 parents, who had sued because the board had required that 9th graders be read a statement asserting that evolution was just one of several theories—another being “intelligent design”—explaining the origin and development of life on earth. The case examines Lebo’s doubts about her ability to judge the credibility of competing scientific theories, her efforts to educate herself, and the fine line she had to walk in accommodating her own principles with those of her editors, who were mindful of the conservative community the paper served. Click here to get this case study now…

The class will examine the exacting art of science reporting—what words to choose, what context to provide, and what constitutes fair and balanced coverage. Students will come to grips with the difficulties of describing dispassionately a scientific theory which has been widely discredited, although it continues to attract some passionate adherents. The science reporting dilemma is only enhanced by the fact that the science is the subject of a trial; ordinarily, reporters give equal weight to both parties to a trial. Students can also discuss what a reporter can do when her approach to a story differs from that of her editors. Finally, they can debate the proper role of a newspaper serving its local community—to reflect local mores and values, or to challenge them? Click here to get this case study now…

The case can be used in a course or class on science reporting; on court reporting; or on local media.

Credits
This journalism case study was written by Kathleen Gilsinan for the Knight Case Studies Initiative, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University. The faculty sponsor was Assistant Professor Marguerite Holloway. Funding was provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. (0609)

Copyright © 2009 The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. No part of this publication may be reproduced, revised, translated, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the written permission of the Case Studies Initiative.

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