4A | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Cottage Grove Sentinel
116 N. Sixth St.
Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424
NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR |
Opinion
541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM
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Never in a hurry to ‘be fi rst’ with bad information
the media industry itself
in our era of instant
information and access;
some of it comes from
pressure outside the
industry due to social
media’s ability to spread
speculation, rumor and
assumption like wildfire
through community
cross referencing our in-
formation to assure that
we could offer a com-
prehensive report that
had been vetted through
multiple sources.
We were in no hurry
to “be first” in offering
incomplete or unverified
information to the com-
foundation of informa-
tion moving forward
rather than half-truths
and speculation.
Having a real conver-
sation about the terrible
nature of this incident
Before becoming a
requires a clear and
journalist some 21 years
accurate understanding
ago, I was a chef for 10
of what happened, and
years working in Hous-
how it happened, before
ton, Atlanta and even-
we can begin to assure it
tually Portland. I had a
From the Managing Editor’s Desk never happens again.
simple mantra I repeated
In addition to provid-
in every restaurant, from
Ned Hickson
ing accurate and credible
line cook to server:
reporting, we also under-
Never be in a hurry to
stand that what we report
serve bad food.
circles.
munity we serve.
can have real-life conse-
As a journalist and
Never be in a hurry to
Understandably, some quences for members of
editor, it’s a mantra that
community members
our community, whether
I have applied to report- serve bad food — or in
the case of good jour-
were frustrated with the
it be the school district,
ing the news, especially
nalism, inaccurate or
lack of coverage in this
police department, vic-
when it involves sensi-
tim or the accused.
tive, controversial or in- incomplete information. newspaper once larger
Today’s
front-page
sto-
outlets
such
as
KEZI
We are in no hurry
vestigative stories within
ry on the terrible hazing and The Register-Guard
to “be first” in making
our community.
began reporting informa- matters worse for our
In an age where media incident in the Cottage
Grove High School lock- tion provided by anony- community or those
outlets are constantly
er room is a story we had mous sources.
within it by fueling ru-
competing to “be first”
been working on since
We took some lumps
mor or speculation with
to break news, there is
late September, talking
on social media but were irresponsible reporting.
a pattern of reporting
determined to approach
Our reporting on this
that has evolved making with people on and off
the
record;
contacting
our
gathering
of
infor-
incident
wasn’t about
incomplete, unverified or
“being first,” but rather to
single-sourced reporting local police as well as the mation — and eventual
acceptable in order to “be district attorney’s office; reporting — with objec- be first in providing you
working to obtain official tivity and thoroughness
with information that is
first.”
documentation,
reports
so
that
the
community
factual and complete.
Some of this comes
had a solid and accurate
from the pressure within and verification; and
nhickson@cgsentinel.com
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
• Rep. Peter DeFazio
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@
state.or.us
(House of Representatives)
405 East 8th Ave.
#2030
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: defazio.house.gov/
contact/email-peter
Phone: 541-465-6732
• Rep. Cedric Hayden
Republican District 7 State
Representative
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301
Phone: 503-986-1407
Website: www.leg.state.or.
us/hayden
Email: rep.cedrichayden@
state.or.us
• Sen. Ron Wyden
405 East 8th Ave., Suite
2020
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: wyden.senate.gov
Phone: (541) 431-0229
• Sen. Jeff Merkley
Email: merkley.senate.gov
Phone: 541-465-6750
S entinel
C ottage G rove
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