Thursday, April 30, 2009

N&O admits "Tar Heel of the Week" faces assault charge, doesn't tell readers whether Linda Williams tried to spike the story (updated)

Execs at the News & Observer aren't looking good today.

Monday I reported a tipster informed me reporters at the N&O had been told not to do any followup reporting on a man who was named "Tar Heel of the Week" by the N&O, despite receiving new information the man was arrested for assaulting his wife.

Contacted by John in Carolina, executive editor John Drescher was almost indignant. He said the information in my post was "not true."
”There is no truth to a report we quashed a follow-up story on Mr. Stephens. Our readers should look forward to reading a follow-up story to the original ‘Tar Heel of the Week’ story."
Today comes the lame follow-up:

James Stephens III, who was named The News & Observer's Tar Heel of the Week on April 19, has an assault charge pending against him in Wake County District Court.


Cary police arrested Stephens on Dec. 9 and charged him with misdemeanor assault. His wife, Dr. Tammi Stephens, accused him of striking her.


In a phone interview, Stephens, 50, said he did not assault his wife. He said she assaulted him in an argument. The couple is going through a contentious divorce, he said.


According to court documents, Tammi Stephens said she struck her husband in self-defense.


James Stephens' charge did not appear in a background check conducted by The N&O prior to the story's publication, in part because an incorrect birth date for Stephens is listed in the court's computer system.


Stephens' next court appearance is May 15.


Stephens, an entertainer, was named Tar Heel of the Week for his work raising money for college scholarships.

Drescher calls that a follow-up?

Information about the arrest was known to the N&O days ago. No explanation in today's story for the delay in telling readers about it.

The tipster has the explanation: reporters who wanted to do a follow-up were told by senior editor Linda Williams to leave it alone -- Williams said news about the arrest was "not important."

There's a lot going on inside the newsroom that hasn't come to light.

UPDATE: Jeff Taylor says there is still an unanswered question:
The question left hanging is whether Linda Williams had any interaction with the story, specifically if she told the reporters who received a tip from Mrs. Stephens about the charges not to do a follow-up, or expressed opposition to doing a follow-up, or questioned the news value of a follow-up which included the charge.

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24 comments:

John Altevogt said...

This is common at The Star. I've had reporters pass tips along to me because they can't cover stuff. They haven't called and said "I can't cover this", but when I've called them they'll say "you should talk to ...) and give me the name of a source close to the action.

In other cases, they just know they won't be allowed to cover it and start with the excuses.

Anonymous said...

Your tipster has a rich fantasy life.

Anonymous said...

Very nice Get, McClatchy Watch! The 'watchdogs' now have minders. They've been needing them for decades.

Walter Abbott

Anonymous said...

N&O fluffing their pillow for a long and well deserved, “Dirt nap”

Anonymous said...

thanks linda, er anom928

Anonymous said...

Newspapers don't generally report domestic battery charges and Tarheel of the Week is a lame fluff piece. This guy wasn't some kind of celebrity, so his arrest is a non-story. I'm confused about why anyone thinks this was a conspiracy to kill a story.

Anonymous said...

Those liberals!

Anonymous said...

Newspapers don't generally report...YOU WERE PERFECT UP TILL HERE.

domestic battery charges and Tarheel of the Week is a lame fluff piece. This guy wasn't some kind of celebrity, so his arrest is a non-story. I'm confused about why anyone thinks this was a conspiracy to kill a story.

CONFUSED? AS TO WHY YOUR GOING OUT OF BUSINESS?

Anonymous said...

Tar Heel of the Week is an "honor," according to the N&O and the winners. I've seen it on people's resumes. To bring honor to someone who has (or has not, no trial has taken place yet) beaten his wife is wrong. There weren't any other people in the entire state who did something positive and aren't charged with CDV? Doubtful. But this feature has to rotate around, making sure sports, education, politics, etc., are featured as well as plenty of minorities.
Finally though, it appears John Drescher overpowered Linda. Shocking.

Anonymous said...

It ain't the Nobel Prize. It's furniture.

Anonymous said...

10:12:
I don't work for the N&O. Or any other part of McClatchy. Never have.
And I'm not confused about why McClatchy is going out of business. They're going under because they're $2 billion in debt from buying Knight-Ridder, not because of their journalistic practices - good or bad.

And I stand by what I said - domestic battery, as well as suicides, are not reported unless the person or people involved are known or prominent citizens or celebrities. Tar Heel of the Week is a community fluff piece, not a big honor.

This was a non-story especially given the reduced staff available to cover important things relevant to the community let alone stupid crap like this.

Anonymous said...

Clear Channel announced that revenue plummeted 23 percent in the first quarter and cash flow fell by 47 percent.

On Wednesday, the company announced it was laying off 590 employees after cutting 1,850 employees in January, for an overall staff reduction of 12 percent since the acquisition.

How can this be possible? Clear Channel is the home of conservative talk radio shows in city after city across the country.

Anonymous said...

It's funny to see N&O people like 10:51 now saying that being named THOW isn't a big deal. The reporters hate doing them, the editors hate editing them and the photographers hate shooting them. But the bosses seem to think it's required for the N&O and talk about it like it is an honor.

This paper is meeting its demise. Melanie isn't around to see it, but Linda and John are. As is Steve Merelman, the front page editor who has never been anything but rude when I've called with concerns or problems. It was after my last call to him that I cancelled the paper.

Anonymous said...

They're going under because they're $2 billion in debt from buying Knight-Ridder, not because of their journalistic practices - good or bad.

---
Then you are confused. Seriously. Name another business that could remain a business with a marketing plan that included intentionally alienating 50% of their customer base.

Are you really that stupid?

Anonymous said...

I believe the tipster. How else could he have known about Williams’ spiking the story? What would even give someone that thought? I have seen Williams in action, and she is a very poor at her job. Without AA-AA she would have been fired not promoted, after the Duke case.

JAT said...

I'll copy this to John Drescher directly but this might be faster --

The question left hanging is whether Linda Williams had any interaction with the story, specifically if she told the reporters who received a tip from Mrs. Stephens about the charges not to do a follow-up, or expressed opposition to doing a follow-up, or questioned the news value of a follow-up which included the charge.

Anonymous said...

RE: 11:17 AM, Clear Channel reductions.

Clear Channel is just purging their ethnically correct non-productive mandatory hires.
Buy the stock. Now they will become profitable again.

Anonymous said...

Is the N & O’s reporting area so devoid of good people that they honor a man that abuses women? The moment that tip came in, the award should have been rescinded. No doubt squirrelly Linda tried to sweep it under the carpet, rather than concede to more poor reporting.

I think I have the new N & O model figured out this time.
Front page drivel, 3 pages useless AP articles, 1 page biased news from the foreign correspondents,
10 pages biased Obooma oozing,
2 pages laughable editorials,
six pages corrections,
0 pages advertising,
0 pages of interest.
Price = Too much even if free.

Anonymous said...

3:33, Seems to me this guy hasn't been tried yet, he's just accused.
I thought you guys were at least clear on one thing, that accusing someone, let's say for example, some lacrosse players, of abusing a woman doesn't mean they're guilty.
Or is this guy somehow different? Maybe because he doesn't look like you?
Sounds like a, um, rush to judgement there.

And Altevogt, why should anyone believe anything you write, since it's a well-known fact that you are paid large sums to pedal political propaganda?
Probably more lucrative than the real estate

Anonymous said...

"Seems to me this guy hasn't been tried yet, he's just accused."
----
Even someone accused of violence of any kind, should not be singled out as a newspapers special award person. Later, if he is found guilty, the N&O praised a man that hits women. That’s great news to other wife beaters no doubt. Most men that would hit women or children is a coward, and I would doubt it is the first time either. For all his ethnic blather, he was raised by a white well- to-do family.

Anonymous said...

“Or is this guy somehow different? Maybe because he doesn't look like you?”
-------
Man, I am so tired of this racial shit already. The great unifier was a joke. The Obamist regime is like a millstone around our necks already. I have lost all interest in sports, they have become like teams of third world thugs. Doesn’t look like me? I sure as hell don’t want a wife beater looking like me.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:33 WAY TOO FUNNY.

It was one of those snorting, deep sinister laughs you got out of me.
Plus, it seems spot on!

Thank you!

I think I have the new N & O model figured out this time.

Front page drivel, 3 pages useless AP articles, 1 page biased news from the foreign correspondents,
10 pages biased Obooma oozing,
2 pages laughable editorials,
six pages corrections,
0 pages advertising,
0 pages of interest.
Price = Too much even if free.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they would consider it news if he had been accused of hitting her with a lacrosse stick or scaring her with an insect.

Anonymous said...

Here is the answer to the unanswered question:
No.