Covering a Crisis Journalism in the Wake of a National Tragedy By Lisa Gildehaus "I've been a reporter since 1986, and with NBC for eight years," said Christopher Scholl, JO'85, producer for NBC's Dateline, who was at the Pentagon minutes after the hijacked plane struck on September 11. "I've seen dead people, nasty crime scenes, horrific accidents, covered natural disasters...but it was nothing like this. It was awful. Nothing, no experience, has ever adequately prepared me for this." Scholl pauses to regain his professional composure. "But the coverage was very thorough, and it's astounding what all the networks did. It was difficult and shocking, but I'm proud to do something that helped." Scholl was one of many members of the media who operated in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington DC. Since September 11, with U.S. troops in Afghanistan and threats of anthrax cropping up at an alarming rate, the jobs of journalists have become increasingly complex. Not only have work schedules been grueling and time off virtually non-existent, but there are also hot debates surfacing over the role of the media. The government, the American public, and the media are in a delicate balancing act as the three struggle to determine what information should be reported and what needs to be withheld in the interest of national security. THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE Paul Leavitt, JO'72, Washington news editor for USA Today, is acutely aware of the awkwardness in a struggle over press freedom versus national security. "This is not a time to test press freedom, but at the same time we have a responsibility to keep the military aware that they have a responsibility to be accountable for their actions. "Everywhere in the government, we're encountering heightened concern and tension. We've had brushes where "I think what we're seeing now is the best argument for a free press that we've seen in decades." we feel we're being cold-shouldered because of the stories we're reporting. For example, a few weeks ago, we were the first newspaper to report that there were ground troops in Afghanistan. We reported that because the Taliban already knew American troops were on the ground inside Afghanistan. The only ones who didn't know were people inside the U.S.," said Leavitt. Other journalists share similar worries. "Right now, journalists are getting access, but the potential for this to change is there," said C. Alan Leeds, JO'73, president and editorial director for the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service. "This is a very tightly controlled administration and journalists aren't allowed into places that have tight security controls. I remember all this during the Gulf War, when the administration was very similar." BACK TO BASICS "I think what we're seeing now is the best argument for a free press that we've seen in decades. There is tremendous importance in what we do," said Scholl. "I hope it inspires college students." Scholl still recalls where he found his inspiration and, in his eyes, his job has been and always will be the same. "Instinctively, nothing has changed, professionally speaking. I function as the reporter I've been trained to function as. I rely on that training. Drake Professor John Lytle helped instill some of that in me. He told me some books I should read, some ideas I should pursue, and I did. Ever since, those are the things I focus on. As things slow down, I use my investigative skills to pursue angles that have been missed. These skills are thanks to my days at Drake." John Garcia, BN'86, reporter for WLS-TV in Chicago, also spoke of the ongoing value of skills he learned at Drake. "My mentor was John Lytle, he's the consummate professional. I think about things that I learned from him every day on every job I do---not just on this. I think about how to put a story together. When you're confronted with difficult situations, you still go back to the basics." Garcia also feels fortunate to be surrounded by other journalists who share his ethical commitments. "Among the decisions I'm proud of are our news director's memo suggesting we stop showing video of the planes hitting the towers and the subsequent collapse by late on September 12. She maintained that the extensive use of those pictures was frivolous and upsetting to many viewers. I don't believe we should censor these pictures, but at some point they became hurtful and redundant." LOOKING FORWARD Leeds has been focusing on what college students are gleaning from events since September 11 and searching for the lesson in it all. "I read somewhere that since the attacks, there has been a surge in students studying Islam, the language, the countries, the religion. I remember Professor Bob Woodward at Drake deciding many years ago that Africa was terribly under-reported and he decided to focus on African studies. Students can have no better role model than him. Students ought to be challenging themselves." Leeds pauses and sighs. "I also hope students and graduates of journalism look at U.S. activities in Muslim countries over the past decade and analyze the press coverage in the time leading up to the attacks." Lisa Gildehaus, JO'93, is an independent filmmaker and writer.
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