I’ve learned so much from my work with journalists mostly as a source that I think I have a simple quick fix to some of the issues around reporting on police violence:
- The crime reporter should never also report on policing policy, police shooting people, or police unions.
- The crime reporter should never also report on policing policy, police shooting people, or police unions.
The crime beat is 90% basic stuff where you can reprint what they say and your #1 source had to be the police. You cannot lose your relationship with your best and often only source and thus reporters (who are good) are put in this horrible position of ruining their source.
Most of the stuff they get is about DUI’s or crashes and shit like that and if they get shut out, they lose the jump on their beat.
It’s hard to explain how sourcing works but even for me as a minor source, I’m constantly talking to journalists or meeting with them even if there is no story. Developing sources and a report with them is crucial.
Thus, the crime reporter should not also write about police murders, police policy, or police union contracts. That’s how we ended up with the false story about Commissioner Hardesty being involved in a hit and run. Gotta print what they say that’s your source!
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