FORMER New York Times editor Howell Raines is often linked to a phrase used to describe the newsroom's approach to a big story: "flood the zone." What that means, in terms of coverage, is that certain stories deemed important enough are assigned to several of the best reporters to not only find out everything there is to know about the current situation, but also to deepen the reader's understanding of the issue -- to understand the why and the history.
If it has really been "one hell of a week" at the University, as Editor-in-Chief Pat Harvey wrote to me in an e-mail, I wouldn't have known it from reading the news section. There were only two articles all week about an extremely explosive start to the school year: "Students gather to condemn recent racial incidents" (Aug. 29) and "Black Student Alliance holds town hall meeting" (Aug. 31).
The Aug. 29 article detailed a rally held in response to a spate of racist activity around campus the previous week. Two students found racially obscene messages on their doors and three others reported being taunted with racial slurs. All were black.
Though I know more articles probing these issues are forthcoming, I wish they had arrived sooner. This issue, with its recent history at the University, deserves immediate and intensive attention. Those articles could have educated the community about broad, unanswered questions. What is it like to be a black student at the University? A profile or interview with one might have done the job. What is University policy in dealing with hate crimes, and what is being done to change it? How many of these incidents go unreported at the University? Nationwide?
I know it's the start of the year, a particularly tough time for student papers, but the CD could have proved once again that it's a great paper by providing spectacular coverage throughout the week. That takes care of the macro. The other thing that bugged me when reading the paper this week was micro -- the smaller unanswered questions.
I would like to think of myself as a first-year student, coming in with little or no knowledge of the events of the past few years. I happen to know from reading the CD over the last few years, as well as from friends of mine, now University alumni, about several terrible incidents, such as the reportedly racially motivated attack on a Student Council presidential candidate Daisy Lundy in February 2003. Yet I'll bet that many incoming first years and transfers were unaware of the recent history. Even returning students and faculty members could have used a refresher course.
That type of background was missing from several articles, extending beyond the articles on racism to articles on Student Council or even the honor code. That's the hard bit about writing fast on deadline -- remembering the obvious.
Over the course of reporting articles, the writer becomes an expert on the subject and often forgets to write a line or two for the uninitiated. Tell us about Daisy Lundy. Remind us in every subsequent article what the inciting racist incidents were, when they happened and to whom.
Then, we readers want even more. We demand details, numbers, dates. The brilliant photo helped us literally see what Saturday's rally looked like. Call me an old-timer, but I want to read a description of the event. Were there signs? How many people were at the rally? Do a head count. What time did it start? How long did it last?
More importantly, why was it a protest, rather than a rally or a meeting? What was said? What, or who, was being protested? This might be obvious to writers as they're writing, but readers want to feel like we were there.
Like Harvey said, it's been a hell of a week. I can and will praise the CD for a wide range of coverage, and fair coverage of sensitive issues, handled professionally. I've noticed that reporters generally speak to all the right people and work hard.
I was also pleased to see many students and faculty members contributing to the opinion page. In my first week of school, my first week of actual criticism, I hope I've set some goals for the CD. I look forward to continuing coverage of these events, and a great year.
Lisa Fleisher can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.
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