http://www.merrill.umd.edu/deadline/index.php/2012/02/13/reporter-who-broke-penn-state-sex-abuse-story-visits-merrill-college/
Reporter Who Broke Penn State Sex Abuse Story Visits Merrill College
By Ana Sebescen Published: February 13, 2012
Ganim said she first knew there was a story to follow while on a “very routine call” with a regular source.
“I make a habit out of asking at the end of every conversation, ‘Is anything else going on?’” she said. “As soon as I heard the name Jerry Sandusky, I knew I should pay attention.”
She jotted Sandusky’s name down on a sticky note to research further.
“[This job involves] lots of long hours and lots of extra time that you don’t get paid for, but I always knew that there was a pay-off. This is how it ended up paying off,” she said.
What are some of the other take aways from Sarah's presentation that you can see yourself using as a reporter and why?
One thing that caught my attention from Ganim’s presentation is her distinction between emotion and bias when reporting. As a crime reporter, Ganim has reported on many car accidents, murders and other criminal activities in which people are going through significant emotional and psychological pain. Ganim said that she does not shy away from letting her emotions into the story. However, she was keen in noting that she can let her emotions in, without being biased. Indeed, “keeping your humanity” can allow reporters to be more true to the devastation of the people involved in a news event. This, at the end, enables the reporter to tell the story more thoroughly and honestly.
ReplyDeleteOne major takeaway I had from Ganim's presentation was to always work your sources and be aware of your surrounding. I've noticed its always easy for reporters, especially on a quick turnaround and tight deadlines to fall into the trap of just following the easy story-- checking police reports, daily breifings, PR e-mails, etc. for stories. But often the best stories come from just talking to people and noticing what's happening around you. If Sara hadn't gone above and beyond her work by attending the games to talk to people, and if she hadn't made sure to talk to as many people as she could, she might not have gotten the story the way she did. By going about the story in ways no one else was, she ended up breaking the story that no other news outlets could.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Sara's presentation reassured me of the future for young and up-and-coming journalists. This is a very competitive field and it often takes young journalists quite some time to establish themselves in the profession. Sara only graduated from Penn State a few years ago and now she is nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Second, just because a source backs out on giving information, that does not mean a reporter should not continue pursuing the story. You never know what story could be completely ground-breaking, and a true and professional journalist will keep pursuing until the truth finally comes out. Objectivity is also key in this industry. The university at the center of this scandal just happened to be Sara's alma mater. As much as she loved Penn State, she put herself before her university, and she made history for it.
ReplyDeleteI was extremely impressed by Sara Ganim. I could really tell how dedicated she is to her job and how passionate she is about this story. What really stood out to me was how she approached the Sandusky story exactly how she would any other crime story and that for her it was just another crime but with different characters. Often times I think people get distracted by celebrity and notoriety and lose site of what’s really important. I found it really impressive the way that Sara stayed so focused on making sure she got the story right and respected the victims and all those involved. Especially being a Penn State alum and writing for a Pennsylvania paper, I think it clearly took an enormous amount of courage for her to pursue this story. In the Journalism industry today I think objectivity is extremely important and yet often undervalued. To me Sara exemplified objective fair reporting and as a result contributed an enormous amount to the field of journalism.
ReplyDelete