"If one of them takes his airplane or his parachute and murders her and the child in front of the grandstand, then it will be news. But until they do, what I am paying you to bring back here is not what you think about somebody out there nor what you heard about somebody out there nor even what you saw: I expect you to come in here tomorrow night with an accurate account of everything that occurs out there tomorrow that creates any reaction excitement or irritation on any human retina; if you have to be twins or triplets or even a regiment to do this, be so."
"So,” Hagood said. He looked up at the still face above him which for the time had that calm sightless contemplation of a statue. “Why dont you let these people alone?” he said. Now the blank eyes waked; the reporter looked at Hagood for a full minute. His voice was as quiet as Hagood’s. “I cant,” he said.
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It is important in news to be objective, so that the information does not vary/alter. Writing what he saw will plainly tell the facts. When people tell a story from what they saw you are getting what happened according to their feelings and memory, which is not reliable and unfair to the facts of the story. Also subjective information can vary from one person to another depending on situational and emotional factors that they endured during the event. Also people have selective memory, they may forget major parts that completely alter the story or make additions that they thought happened. It is like the game of telephone, everyone perceives, remembers and understands an event or situation differently and you cannot rely on eye testimony. The editor is looking for straightforward facts and facts only. News must be objective, not subjective.
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The same could still be said for the reporter as in if he were to write what he saw, he could also tend to focus on some parts more than others, or write in a tone that is biased without trying to purposefully be biased. He’s writing from memory just as much as someone who would recount a story through conversation.
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The reporter should remain unbiased, and deliver a new story based on facts and events that everyone at the airshow witnesses. The editor wants him to deliver a piece written to target the masses, who are all interested in the stunts and unbelievable races rather than the life of Laverene and her children. The editor doesn’t want an account that is too personal; he believes that reporters should maintain a certain distance. Their eyes are like cameras, capturing visuals and then turning them into words, as they actually are and not as the reporters interpret them to be.
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The editor is trying to make it very clear that he does not want the reporter to become too involved with the story. He knows the reporter seeks to become more involved as a part of his story, but the editor wishes for a more detached perspective. Quite simply, the editor wants the reporter to provide an account whose headline can catch a reader’s attention, whereas the reporter really wants to get to the heart of the story.
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I agree that the reporter didn’t think reporting what he saw was enough and the editor just want the story that could effectively catch one’s attention regardless of what the heart or truth of the story. And it was wrong to write what others tell him because hearsay was not necessary the truth.
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It’s not enough for the reporter to write what he saw because that’s just his observations. Observations alone don’t make for news or an exciting story that people would want to read. Writing what others tell him is not enough either because his story would hinge on the recollection and words of someone else—it’s not 100% accurate. The editor is looking for him to bring back an accurate account of something newsworthy that will generate discussion or just a reaction from the readers.
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It is not enough for the reporter to write what he saw because, he is able to perceive what he saw in in any tone that is desirable to him, and not to the reader, the editor here wants straight facts that are going to cause a response, he doesn’t care what type of response he just wants one. what others tell him maybe subjective or even a lie. the editor expects accuracy and engagement, but not to much to where he looses himself. He also wants the reporter to do whatever he can to make it happen.
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Anyone can give an account of a event, simply writing what they saw. It is expected of him to go over the event with a fine tooth comb. Giving readers more than what our own eyes see. However, the editor doesn’t want anything partial,he wants a story that has observable backing.
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The reporter its emotionally attached with these people, so to him only describing facts will be really hard since he feels and urge of getting involved in the narrative. the editor is looking for just news, Something that will catch the eyes and the mind of the audience.
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It’s not enough for the reporter to write what he sees because doing that might not be as exciting as he wants his stories to be. He also might only be catching a glimpse of what the truth is, which can be far from his point of view. Writing what others tell him will be like writing about their perspectives, and they may leave out certain facts to avoid problems or humiliation. The editor wants the reporter to dig for the information, but stay unbiased.
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It’s not enough because you need to garner outside information from what they saw on experience. There is simply more substance that is needed than just witnessing something first hand. The editor wants a more structured viewpoint that will gravitate to the reader by focusing on the central idea. Solely relying on observations doesn’t do a story enough justice.
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I agree with you, if by “they” you mean the reporter. He really does need to evaluate what he saw before reporting on it. Also, something that one might find interesting might not be interesting to the public that is reading the paper. This understanding of what society views as news is important to remember, when writing about what one sees.
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Its not just enough for the reporter to write what he he sees, because looks can be deceiving. Also, information takes time to get processed. A second-take can reveal a different story that what was first perceived.
In terms of writing what others tell him, this is may be wrong because of the validity of the source. Eye-witness accounts can hold merit, but relying too much on other’s interpretation reduces the quality of the report.
What the editor is looking for are stories that have importance and provide some value to the reader. Also, with the proper means of evidence.
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The reporter really wants to get involved and dig deep to get to the real hear of the story, but the editor is saying that the reporter can’t be so directly involved – that he needs to get the headline and get out.
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Yes, I meant heart, not hear.
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It isn’t just enough for the reporter to write what he saw because he needs credibility to back up what he saw. That credibility comes from straight facts. It is wrong to write what others tell him because if he relies solely on their information to portray a story and they tell him different versions of one event, the story is not only not factual, its not credible and could cost the newspaper their reputation.
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He is telling the reporter to be ethically correct by remaining unbiased, and refraining from crossing the personal boundaries between subject and friend. There are certain ethical principles he expects the reporter to stay true to, just as a lawyer is expected to do their job of defending his client without personal beliefs getting in the way, as is a journalist. It’s all about getting the story, but still remaining professional.
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The editor’s last statement is meant to tell the reporter to separate himself from the story. The analogy of twins/triplets/regiment suggests the reporter to separate from himself in order to maintain the boundaries of professionalism a reporter should have when writing a story.
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The editor’s last statement implies that the reporter’s perception of what is right and wrong in terms of what a journalist should do, is blurring. As a journalist, he is expected to be professional and the editor can see that he’s getting too involved. In him saying that, you could tell that the editor cares for the reporter above an employer and employee relationship.
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He is telling the reporter leave his personality behind and simply provide what is needed; accurate facts. again the reporter must remain professional and follow journalistic guidelines
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The editor implies from his last statement, that he holds the reporter to the ethics(moral standards) of a good journalist. Specifically, by asking for “an accurate account.” whilst, it is principle of a journalist to lift the veil for the public, at the same time he must be transparent. I feel like the editor wants the story but not the story behind the scenes, to him that is a whole other story, seperate to the one the reporter is delivering.
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The editor wants the reporter to fully cooperate with the idea of just creating a story that will sell newspaper and not getting involved with this people. The editor is asking the reporter to act with a sense of accuracy and objectivity.
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I thought by being twins, triplets or a regiment, the editor is asking the reporter to have many takes on the stories he is going to write about. By evaluating his work through multiple lenses, he will be able to determine if the story is newsworthy.
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By stressing about accuracy, this indicates an objective mindset when doing your job as a journalist. The editor stresses neutrality that produces some type of emotion or reaction out of the reader.
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The editor is asking the reporter to bring factual work. Him mentioning, “accurate account” tells that the editor does not work produced through emotion, but rather unbiased evidence. The ethical implications of the editor’s statement also shows the strong work ethic he has and the quality he looks for from his reporters.
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The editor is saying that the journalist is too close to what he’s writing about, that there are boundaries to what the journalist can and cannot do and the journalist needs to see and respect those boundaries.
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I hadn’t really considered that. I’d say that it’s more a matter of ethics, because the reporter’s closeness to the subject is affecting his ability to write the story his editor needs him to.
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The reporter can’t leave these people alone because he can’t remove himself from the story he’s writing, he’s too emotionally involved at this point, he inserted himself in the situation. The editor can’t understand the reporter because he doesn’t work in the field, he just sits in his office. Unlike the reporter, he’s too removed from the situation.
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he states that he cant because he has already been to involved into the story. Th editor doesn’t understand because he is used to just the technical aspect of writing and that is more factual , where as the reporter has a deeper meaning behind his writing, it is hard for the reporter to see it black and white.
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Well, first of all, the editor its not the one dealing with these people in a daily basis.And, The reporter has gotten so in-merged into the story that now it seems impossible to separate himself from it.
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The story has become a part of the reporter’s life and for the editor, it is simply part of his job.
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The reporter can’t leave the people alone because after becoming so involved, it’s like he’s become part of the story. His attachment to the story is not something the editor would understand because he’s not surrounding himself with the story like the reporter.
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The different mindsets between editor and reporter couldn’t be more evident. Editor is solely focused on finding information and composing it within a professional manner. Reporter has to interact with people, along with listening to their thoughts. That can lead them towards being emotionally invested. The editor can’t understand his thought process, while the reporter remains attached.
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The reporter wants a biographical story to depict the human condition from a personal perspective.
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The reporter wants details to the story based on becoming so emotionally involved within the story.
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The reporter has become invested in these people and the story. He’s spent too much time caring about it all on a personal level that he can’t simply let it go just because his editor wants him to. The editor doesn’t understand because he hasn’t actually been interacting with these people and becoming part of it all. The reporter has made this story a part of himself and the editor will never be able to fully understand that connection.
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The reporter can’t leave these people alone because not only is he emotionally invested in them, they provide rich details that tell a greater, even better story than what’s presented directly up front. I don’t think its that the editor doesn’t understand the reporter, I think its that there are certain guidelines that he needs to abide by in order to please the people on top, and there is no room for error.
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