I've been reflecting on the news of the past several days, the people I talked to, and what they had to say. And there's one thing I heard from the family of Manuel Ellis that isn't sitting right with me. I need to call it out. A short thread... 1/7
Someone in the local media market sent a message to Manny's sister the night before @AGOWA was scheduled to announce a charging decision in the Ellis case. They abruptly asked to film the family's reaction when the news went public. 2/7
I don't know who asked, and honestly I don't think it matters. What does matter is for all of us — I'm talking to my fellow reporters here — to remember the incredible responsibility we have in this job. Not only to get the news right, but to get the news in the *right way.* 3/7
I talked with Ellis' family after Thursday's presser. They said they had no plans to talk to anyone else. They're tired. They haven't been able to grieve. And they don't know when they'll grieve — in part, Monét Carter-Mixon said, because of the cameras shoved in their faces. 4/7
We can't keep parachuting into communities, particularly Black communities, and ask them to broadcast their trauma for the sake of getting a story first. Reporting isn't just about getting the news out. It's about people. It's about relationships. It's about humanity. 5/7
Journalism is the first draft of history. That history is only as good as the people we rely on to document it. And if we treat those people poorly, if we fail to foster authentic relationships, we lose trust from those who are the history. Our journalism is worse for it. 6/7
So the next time you go to great lengths to Get The Scoop, stop and remind yourself of the responsibility you have to lead with empathy. Have you put in the work in that relationship? Because your exclusive is temporary. Any harm you do while trying to get it is permanent. 7/7
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