People who believe in journalism
Now and then I come across a blog post that just plain makes me feel good about journalism. As long as there are people who believe doing journalism is important, it will get done.
The post comes from Meranda Watling, only three months out of j-school. She works for the Journal & Courier newspaper in Lafayette, Indiana, and they’ve been covering the disappearance of a college student since the week she started her job (see the package page, nicely organized).
It’s the first real-world test I think we’ve gotten to see of how it all comes together. It’s one thing to talk about immediately posting things online, getting video and photo galleries, setting up forums and letting the communication flow. It’s entirely different to see it, to watch it and be part of it from the front line. And the audience gobbled it up.
Unfortunately, the student was found dead on Monday, remarkably close to where he was last reportedly seen alive.
Technorati tags: news | online journalism | online media | future | journalism
The missing student was from Bloomington, where I am now. A few of my friends knew him. I was sitting in the lobby of my school on Tuesday discussing the body the found on the Purdue campus. My friend who knew him and his family said I hope it is Wade so they can have some closure. Shortly after she said that the local newspaper website posted confirmation that it was him.
They have been searching all over for him ever since he went missing. I drove to Indianapolis last week and saw a few billboards with his photo on it.
It is really eerie how he was found about 50 yards from where he was seen last.
March 22, 2007 at 2:54 pmIt’s an unusual story in that there was no foul play, apparently, and also in that the searchers did not thoroughly search the room where his body was found because they assumed that room would have been locked.
I feel like that might be useful in future investigations — maybe next time, people will make fewer assumptions about where a missing person might be found.
March 22, 2007 at 2:59 pm