TJ explains reporting DUI case
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 6:42PM Everybody makes mistakes.
Guy Reel, associate professor of mass communication, was arrested last weekend for a DUI. Reel also serves as the faculty advisor for The Johnsonian, which made reporting the story controversial.
The decision to report Reel’s case proved difficult, especially to staff members who’ve worked closely with him. Group discussions ensued, and we came to the decision that, given our code of ethics and prior reporting, we must print Reel’s arrest.
We love and appreciate our advisor, but The Johnsonian must uphold journalistic principles and reporting precedents.
In Sept. 2011, The Johnsonian covered the arrest of two employees who sold scrap metal belonging to Winthrop. Since we’ve reported on the issue of Winthrop staff arrests before, we must treat all other staff arrests equally, even if it involves members of The Johnsonian.
We will continue to report employee arrests. It’s only fair.
It’s good to keep in mind, when reading stories of arrests or the police blotter, that every action has consequences and we all have to live with those consequences. We all need to learn from our mistakes. And we all make mistakes.
