The Oklahoma Publisher Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association www.OkPress.com Vol. 86, No. 11 www.Facebook.com/okpress 16 Pages • November 2015 INSIDE McAlester News-Capital investigates NEW OWNERS: Three Oklahoma newspapers recently school board’s questionable spending sold – The Wynnewood Gazette, Boise City News and The McAlester News-Capital recently of outside financial consultant and trea- on our investigation, the spending is out of Freedom Call. See who the new confirmed that the Oklahoma State Bureau surer Paula Crawford. control at MPS.” owners are at these papers. of Investigation is conducting a criminal In the Oct. 3 issue of the News-Capital, The newspaper’s conference room has PAGE 3 investigation at McAlester Public Schools. Editor Glenn Puit told readers that the been overtaken by boxes and stacks of SALES PROMOTIONS: “We have opened an investigation into newspaper was beginning a review of the paper over the past few months, said Johns. Take a look at some of the first an allegation of official misconduct involv- school’s finances “just to make sure every- “The stacks of paper are financial doc- place winners in last year’s ing an employee of the school district,” thing was okay.” uments obtained from McAlester Public Better Newspaper Contest’s OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown told the Puit, along with reporters David Dish- Schools as part of our newsroom’s com- Sales Promotion event. News-Capital. She declined to identify the man and James Beaty, reviewed records prehensive review of finances at the school employee. detailing school district finances. district,” she wrote in a Nov. 8 column. “All PAGE 9 Brown said it’s possible the investigation “We’ve asked repeatedly via state open of the documents were obtained through COVERING TRAGEDY: The could take weeks to complete. records requests for a specific, line item list open records requests.” Stillwater News Press and The “Our main objective is to gain informa- of expenditures from that account, along Puit said the investigation is part of a O’Colly cover the homecoming tion and put it into a report and provide it to with details of what the money was spent long-term project to detail school district parade tragedy . the district attorney,” Brown said. on and who spent it,” said Puit. spending. PAGE 10 The OSBI initiated the investigation at “Reporters Beaty and Dishman, under “Why are we doing this?” he asked. “It’s the request of the McAlester Police Depart- the guidance of Editor Puit, have done your money the school board is spending.” DONATE TO ONF to receive ment. exemplary work regarding this investiga- Johns said these type of stories don’t this Will Rogers print. Details at The News-Capital began a special inves- tion,” said News-Capital Publisher Amy come around very often. “My job is to OkPress.com/will-rogers. tigation into finances at McAlester Pub- Johns. “Our community deserves to know loosen the reigns and give the news team lic Schools in early September after MPS how their tax dollars are being spent and the time and the tools to make certain it is Superintendent Dr. Marsha Gore’s reas- it is our responsibility to shine the light done right. signment of former MPS Business Manag- where there is darkness. I can say based “I am beyond proud and humble to work er/Treasurer Brent Grilliot and the hiring with such great journalists.” Special section focuses on Oklahoma’s missing children A special section dedicated to child safety and the missing chil- dren of Oklahoma recently ran in six Oklahoma newspapers. The Sequoyah County Times, McIntosh County Democrat, Okmulgee Times, Henryetta Free-Lance, The Eufaula Indian Jour- nal, Eastern Times Register and Vian Tenkiller News all ran the 28-page tabloid in October. This is the first special section published in the six newspapers under the direction of Publisher Jeff Mayo. “This was a starter piece for us,” Mayo said. “I hope it leads into more sales.” On the date the section was published, there were 62 missing children from Oklahoma. Each child’s photo, description and information about their dis- appearance was presented in the section. The section also contained stories about how schools work to maximize each child’s safety at school and in the community as well as tips on Internet safety for children. A story on human trafficking by Roy Faulkenberry, editor of the Sequoyah County Times, also appeared in the section. Denise Gordon, a sales executive at the Henryetta Free-Lance, came up with the idea for the section, said Mayo. Information was readily available from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org/ Safety. “They maintain a database and were glad to have it publicized,” said Mayo. “Of course we asked permission before doing it.” 2 The Oklahoma Publisher // November 2015 Governor releases execution records After more than a year and a half, release 54 pages of documents it deemed Gov. Mary Fallin’s office released more confidential. than 40,000 pages of documents related In a separate lawsuit, the Oklaho- to state executions. ma Observer newspaper and a nursing In December, the Tulsa World, its par- home reform group, A Perfect Cause, is ent company BH Media Group and for- suing Fallin’s office for records related mer World editor Ziva Banstetter sued to nursing homes and long-term care Gov. Fallin and Public Safety Commis- facilities. sioner Michael Thompson for alleged The nursing home reform group violations of the Open Records Act. requested the records concerning the Attorneys for the Reporters Commit- execution of two inmates in May 2014; tee for Freedom of the Press are repre- the Oklahoma Observer requested the senting the newspaper in the lawsuit, records in July 2014. which is pending in Oklahoma County The lawsuit asks a judge to order the District Court. immediate release of all records related Using anonymous sources The governor’s office declined to to the requests, and attorney fees. The source was confidential. The gov- nursing homes, day care centers, private ernor was livid. prisons, casinos, etc. I had waited on the governor for more Oklahomans are fortunate that the than two hours in the hallway outside his state has a Shield Law that helps journal- OPA CALENDAR OF EVENTS office at the state Capitol. ists protect confidential sources. THURS., DECEMBER 10, 2015 I wanted to ask him about a land At least twice during my long career deal – that, according to my source – – once during a grand jury investiga- WEBINAR: POWER OF DATA involved the governor. But, the property tion – I have been on the witness stand had been placed in the names of rela- and asked by hostile lawyers to reveal Cost: $15 for OPA members, 10:30 a.m. tives to apparently hide the governor’s sources. Both times I declined by invok- This session will provide a roadmap for implementing data-driven operations at your involvement. ing the state Shield Law and the U.S. organization. How to get started with data. How to use demographic data. How using As the governor and his security, Constitution’s First Amendment guaran- data can save marketing money for your organization. It also includes ways to avoid staff and associates entered the hallway tee of Freedom of the Press. veering off the data road by getting lost in reports or overwhelmed with the information and headed for their cars, I fell in step In both cases, judges ruled that I did with them, held a tape recorder toward not have to reveal the sources of my you unleash. To register, visit inlandpress.org/training/webinars. the governor and asked about the land stories. (I was sure glad that my wife and transaction. I didn’t have to try and explain to our I had never seen the governor more children why dad was in jail, but hadn’t MON., DECEMBER 14, 2015 aggravated. Furious better describes done anything wrong.) HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS DUE him. Often times I’ve wished that I could The Hall of Fame honors Oklahoma journalists who have dedicated their lives to -RT- have revealed sources – such as the The last person who wants to use story about the governor’s land deal excellence in serving the citizens of our state and country. Nominations may be sent an anonymous source in a story is a years ago – because some of them were to Terry Clark at [email protected] or Journalism Hall of Fame, University of Central reporter. prominent and readers would have found Oklahoma, 100 N. University Ave., Edmond, OK 73034. To download the nomination When sources are unnamed, all the their identities interesting. Some of the form, visit okjournalism.uco.edu/nomination-form.asp. responsibility of what is being disclosed very people who have screamed the rests squarely with the reporter whose loudest about leaks surrounding politi- byline is on the story. The reporter and cal, court and law enforcement stories THURS., FEBRUARY 11, 2016, 9:30 AM newspaper’s credibility is on the line. were the very leakers of the information. Any story is better if sources are fully -RT- OPA LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT disclosed so the public can evaluate The governor – visibly angered – Cost: FREE but please register in advance who is speaking, what they are saying, hurried with his staff down the steps of consider their expertise and knowledge, the Capitol to their waiting cars. I contin- Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City and explore their possible motives. ued to try and ask questions about the OPA’s Legislative Summit is free to attend, so all OPA members are encouraged to meet But, if the story is important enough, secret property deal, but the governor at the State Capitol on Feb.