Week 4 Media Blog Post:

TOPIC 1: EDNA AND SPJ'S CODE OF ETHICS -- Consider the Society of Professional Journalists' "Code of Ethics,” which we discussed in class, and let's consider the work of Edna Buchanan.

1. Minimize harm. Edna does follow this principle when she seeks to publish the appearance of serial criminals, missing persons, or other people whom the public can help find.
2. This will help minimize harm because the serial criminals will be apprehended sooner and the missing persons will be more likely to be found. Regarding a four year old who's troubled mother had put him up for adoption but who's live-in grandfather was looking for him, Buchanan writes, "Once the story and the picture ran in the morning "Herald," Corey was lost no longer. A reader who saw it had Corey. He had been safe with her all along. His mother had left him at the Catholic Family and Children's Service, saying she could not care for him....Sam [grandfather] and Corey were [happily] reunited that day."
3. Yes, I think Buchanan did the right thing. She caught a case that had been dropped by policemen because they thought they boy had been found. Another similar case resulted in a lost, mentally-confused aged man being found by his loving wife because a nurse at the home that had picked him up saw his picture in Buchanan's article. "'He could not communicate,' explained a hospital administrator. 'It seemed like he was incoherent, so he was placed in the institute," reported Buchanan.

Note: Be the first to "publish” for Topic 1, because you will have to find another topic from Edna's book if somebody else gets there first.

TOPIC 2: EDNA's TIPS FOR JOURNALISTS -- 

Tip #1: Edna Buchanan has formed relationships with the cops and even with the subjects of some of her stories.  I just read the part about her friendship with drug-runner turned FBI-informer Emilio.  Obviously, the subjects of her stories were not just material to make money on, she loved them, even when disaster followed them wherever they went, like for Emilio, who on what was supposedly a simple trip to drop Buchanan off at the airport, they were involved in a car chase with policemen.  

Although Buchanan had to try hard to convince Emilio to just drop her off at the airpot, she obviously has a high-tolerance if not appreciation for drama in her own life as well as in her stories.  "I vowed to never, ever get in a car with this man again...The airport!  The airport!  I shrieked," says Buchanan, writing about the car chase; although even after he dramatically declared his love for her at the airport, despite the fact they were not even dating, she continued to take his calls.  I would say that this tip is to have a high appreciation for the complexity of humanity and not be too judgmental.  (Buchanan got a lot of good information from Emilio.)

Edna writes about Emilio's complicated relationship with patriotism, confounded by the fact that as an informant he wasn't paid enough by the FBI to support his family, so he continued to do illegal drug activity.  Before Buchanan's car ride to the airport with Emilio turned dramatic, "We drove by the White House and the Washington Monument in a light rain.  Same old wacky patriot, he was so proud, his eyes welled.  I had to smile to myself."  These are Buchanan's most appealing moments.

Tip #2: Buchanan bonded with everyone, not just the men.  She beautifully describes women she admired in her area of work who she obviously was on good terms with.  And Buchanan is not an apologist for bad behavior from cops.  An example of both of these traits is the story of Roxcy Bolton and Wanda Jean, a young women whom cops abused and then tried to hide away.  Roxcy figure out where she was, went and rescued her, and saw justice, the best that could be at that point, served.

Learning of the place where Wanda Jean had been stowed away from public view, "Roxcy marched down the hallway booming in that big voice: 'Wanda Jean!  Wanda Jean!.... This is Roxcy.  I'm a sister."  It's always nice to hear of women sticking by women, and of established professionals still continuing to champion the underdog and not protect their peers if their peers have done wrong.