Nunzsense: Always a twist to the news

Here's another of my columns from a few weeks ago, talking about how a story can change between the pitch and the actual reporting.


http://beta101.nvdaily.com/news/2011/10/always-a-twist-to-news/

Update as of April 2015. It appears this link is bad, so here is the column:

It was supposed to be a simple advance. Some might call it a puff piece.

But when Northern Virginia Daily staff writer Kaitlin Mayhew started talking to some merchants in town a couple of weeks ago, she found that they were not that thrilled at what Downtown Front Royal Inc.’s Hometown Halloween had turned into in only two years.

An event that was supposed to help promote downtown businesses to the parents while the children collected treats had turned into a free-for-all (except for the people paying for the candy) that drew 2,500 participants last year.

Like any good reporter, Kaitlin knew she had found “gold.” The real story was concern from the businesses, with several owners saying they simply could not afford to participate in the event this year. Her story was balanced with others who said they would still take part, but readers seized upon those who said they were taking a pass, with some going as far as to blame the reporter and this newspaper for running the story.

Reporting news is not always pretty. It is often the third part of the old saw that holds that anyone who likes sausage or respects the laws of this nation should watch neither being made.

Countless times I have gone to a meeting with an agenda packet, figuring I knew exactly what I’d write about. But over the course of two hours in a town council chamber, three other items might turn out to be better fodder for a story. That original idea? Maybe something later in the week; maybe something for the bullets at the end of the story.

One of the big things reporters have to be able to do is think on their feet. In the course of an interview, you might hear something out of left field. Going down a different line of questioning than you might have anticipated, you find the real news.

In his outstanding book “This Just In: What I Couldn’t Tell You On Television,” Bob Schieffer of CBS News describes the way he figured out how to best do his job while covering the Pentagon. When he wanted to find out what the Army was doing, he went to someone from the Navy. After all, the Navy already knew what the Army was doing, but might be more willing to offer a tip or two.

Some stories are pretty obvious. When a house catches on fire, that’s a story. When a crash shuts down Interstate 81, ditto.

Others require a little digging — sometimes a lot of digging. And where that digging takes us may not please every single reader. That’s too bad. That’s news.

The reporters at this newspaper make every effort to be fair. I know the work they do each day. Sometimes those closest to the story, those with “a dog in the fight” are not going to agree. That’s what letters to the editor and the comment section on the web page are for. I am happier when people stick to the issue at hand rather than go after people who are doing their jobs.

We are not trying to trick anyone into anything.

* Charles Pannunzio is the assistant managing editor of the Daily.