From time to time, groups or individuals get upset when they see a story in the Peak because it is not the story that they wanted to appear. Our job is to report on news and community happenings with as much accuracy and objectivity as possible.
Reprinting a press release in the paper, although easier and more convenient than writing our own story, does not give our readers the full picture. In fact, it is lazy journalism.
The trouble comes when groups or individuals inform us they will not be interviewed for a story, for whatever reason, and that we can just use the press release instead.
This creates a dilemma for our reporters. How do they write the story with accuracy and full context if they are forced to splice in quotes from a prepared statement, while the full story demands more information or commentary from additional sources?
The problem can be easily addressed with a simple solution: the reporters do their job.
Part of the duty of a journalist is to get out into the community to find additional sources and information for a story. This may include, but is not limited to, government officials, organizational representatives, qualified topic experts and concerned residents.
A press release is just a starting point for a story: it is not the story. Organizations are always encouraged to send in information to a newspaper about their events and initiatives, creating a starting point for any good story. However, a good story always goes beyond a press release. To pass a press release off as a newspaper story does a disservice to readers.
It’s easy to take a prepared statement and cut and paste it onto a website, or put it in the next edition of the paper.
It requires a true journalist to take that press release, dig deeper and find the full story. We here at the Peak look forward to receiving more important information from our community, digesting it, asking questions and presenting to our readers a story that is a well-rounded reflection of the truth.
Will our stories always be 100 per cent accurate and free of bias? That is impossible, because reporters are people, not machines.
Will we always strive to do our diligence in reporting what we believe to be an accurate and fair reflection of a community-based story?
Yes, that is our job, and we aim to do it well.
Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
