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4-1-1991 Inside Journalism Columbia College Chicago

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Recommended Citation Columbia College Chicago, "Inside Journalism" (1991). Inside Journalism. 19. https://digitalcommons.colum.edu/inside_journalism/19

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Publications at Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. It has been accepted for inclusion in Inside Journalism by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INSIDE FEBRUA RY, 1991 J A Newsletter Published by the Journalism Department of Columbia College Pro1ess gave j-s1uden1s his advice for preveming inaccuraie reporting. "Fi~t. DOWALIBY BASHES [journalists must] no1 rely on sources that aren't there. For inslallce, lhe three MEDIA sources [the medial had at the begin­ "The public heats whal is said a1 the ning of the case dwindled inlO one who beginning of the case, and from Iha~ 1es1ificd in coun. 1hey convict you." "Second, gc1 sources on the record. According 10 Cynthia Dowaliby, th.is Auribution provides security. is the reason her husband, David, was "And las1, don't get 100 close io u,e convicted of murdering their daugh1er, prosecution's ideas. The Dowalibys Jaclyn, last May. were advised by their auorney nol to - Dowaliby was one of three who wk 10 the press; therefore, the media only heard the prosecution's side, and recenily spoke 10 j,studenis in Jim magazine, CHICAGO: Aris and Ylisela's Inierpretive Reporting class they wkcd ex1ensively." O'Connor added that not enough Communication, visited Ringier about how the media can influence a America Priming Co., in Pontiac, Ill. a j ury's decision. She spoke with great care was taken by the press concerning the facts about David. He is only an few weeks ago, 10 see how their words emotion about the !rial of her husband. and graphics would eventually become ( ) The other speake~. David Protess, a ordinary pe=, she said, but he was lrealed with the indifference 10 ac­ a professional-level publication. journalism professor a1 Northwesiern The ieam consisied of Na1Lehnnan, University and an investigative curacy generally reserved for celebrities [who are less protected by chainnan of lhe j-deparunent and the reporter, and Peggy O'Connor, presi­ magazine's publishing advisor; Don dent of the Freedom for David libel laws].' u1 am pennancntly scarred," said Gold, director of the dcpa11mcni 's Dowaliby Commiuee, both concurred magazine program and 1he magazine's with Dowaliby's s1a1ements. Dowaliby. "I'm a 1rus1ing pe~on, maybe IOO trusting, but I don't trust the edi1orial advisor; Bunon Winick, an "Inaccurate evidence (was leaked] 10 deparunent faculty member and ad· 1he press by 1he prosccu1ing side," media anymore.•• an -Stacy Manglaras visor; Dina Giobbia, student produc­ Proless said. For insiance, the rope lhat tion manager; and myself, student was used as the murder weapon was editor-in-chief. We went to Pontiac to similar 10 one of 1he Dowaliby MEET THE PRINTER coordinaie the magazine's spring 1991 children's toys and the blood found on printing plans. Jaclyn's pillow was from Dowaliby's Ringier representatives met with us oral surgery, Pro1ess claimed. Bui the Maga,:ine Edllor Describes Process a1 a luncheon conference, and ham· media's inierproiation made them seem A five-member group representing mered out deiails and logistics. The like irrcfuiableevidcnceagainst David. 1he j -depariment's forihcoming meeting was productive and, for Dina and myself, an invaluable educational opponunity. Af1er a working lunch, we were 1aken on a plani tour 1ha1 included every siage of magazine production. The plant is a gigantic, high-technol· ogy complex that is extremely efficient and almost toially compuier-operalCd. At present, Ringier's webfed offset printing process is the sysiem mos1 often used in the United S1a1es IO prim magazines, illustrated books and I colorized brochures. The plan1 , .. . produces millions of magazine copies Cynthia DowaUby pauses during the discussion In 3n lnterpre1h·e Reporting class. annually. Our tour took us through the the story," which she says is the banlest preparatory stage, on to printing and part about being a reporter. THE STORY BEHIND THE (. ) binding, and, fmally, distribution. Along with a photographer, she fo l­ SCANDALS ('lt was very encouraging 10 know lowed an elderly lady carrying two that a plant with that quality control and huge cardboard boxes and two tauered New Ckm Unco>ers In,.,sdgaliut "A key component in this class is the eviction of the homeless at O'Hare going to be how to respond to auacks Airport She was excited about going on your credibility," Lyons says. "And out and doing a story that had social what you = do to protect your in­ relevance. tegrity when they come after you." The story had an emotional impact "The class wiU also look at case on her that she struggled with while on studies of actual investigations," Lyons the assignment. says, "dissecting the investigation from ( l Toe heart of her story consisted of beginning to end, looking at all the the aftermath of the eviction and decisions duu go into it." Johnson had to "separate myself from Mary Johnson Such controversial cases as the Mirage Tovem case, in wltich under­ that means only about three years. New In actuality, however, Goudie stayed cover operators from the BOA and the gnlds are given a chance LO make mis­ for two weeks and reported one story WBBM-TV investigative team, s~ up takes, learn some new things and then per day live from Saudi Arabia. an actual tavern to monitor corrupt get oat into the real world. \Vhile s'lllying with Ille U.S. troops in dealings in the govemmen~ and the Yvette Shields, a city hall reporter Ille Gulf, Goudie learned many of them Medicaid scam, an investigation that who has been with City News since "want to invade. If they have to come the F.B.I. still uses as a unining film for 1988, says she had nootherallernativcs home having nothing happen, there new agcnlS, will be among the cases after graduating from Columbia except will be a lot of disappoinunent; they'll that studcnlS will be analyzing. theCNB. feel as if they've been there for no Afier a combined 34 years working 'There was really nowhere I could reason," he says. as investigators for the BGA, both go straight out of college," Shields Goudie says his piece on the tremen­ Lyons and Brunner are painfully aware says. "But tlie experience is great at dous amount of mail being sent to the that there is a myriad or circumstances City News. What it does is prepare you soldiers garnered the most public atten­ which directly affect the rouie an inves­ for the real world." tion, and a story he did on board the tigation takes. - Timothy Bentevis USS Wisconsin stirred up the most What both Lyons and Brunner hope controversy. students will ultimaiely gain from the The public was not prepared 10 see a course is an understanding of all the GOUDIE'S GULF TALES demonstnllion of exactly how these variables involved in an investigation, young American soldiers were trained and see up close the dynamic nature of When lrJqi President Saddam Hus­ to defend lhemselves when the time investigative reporting. sein invaded Kuwait in August and came to do so, Goudie says, and it -Steve Crescenzo took control of its government and oil brought home the idea of war for many reserves, WLS-TV reporter Chuck people. Goudie was the first local reporter to But despite his extensive interview­ CC GRADS AT CITY bring the news, live from Saudi Arabia, ing and fll'St-hand observation of Ille NEWS into our living rooms. situation, Goudie says he still has found On December 3rd, in the Hokin no certain reason for the U.S. deploy­ Auditorium, Goudie, who specializes "The City News Bureau is like ment of nearly a half million tr00ps. in naLional securiLy and organized "If none of this had happened," he graduate school - only it pays you a crime reporting, sltared bis experience salary," says 1988 Columbia graduate says, "the economy would probably with Columbia College students. and weekend editor of City News, still be the same as far as oil and nation­ He showed clips from his 23-story Anna Marie Obiala. "It's a training al security arc concerned; in fac~ it series that he put together on his own, ground for journalists who want to would probably be better if we weren't virtually independent of his co-workers spending so much money over there." prepare themselves for big-time in Chicago and in the U.S. military newspapers." - Rachel Morrow reserve unit in Saudi Arabia. The CNB, often called "boot camp Assigned to Operation Desert Shield for journalists," is a wire service for immediately after the invasion, "600 SOUTH:" THE major newspapers such as the Chicago Goudie, along will, a cameraman, ex­ Sun-Times and Chkago Tribune, and HIDDEN QUARTET pected to go to Saudi Arabia and film for area radio and television stations. one "'