Under The Microscope When 45 Men And Women Told Us About Their Experiences With The Media, It Became A Learning Process For All Involved

In September 1988, Rich Landers of The Spokesman-Review wrote an article about Biff Williams, a man whose right arm was paralyzed in an accident 35 years ago. Landers told readers how Williams bow hunts using his teeth to draw the string. After the article ran, Williams heard from dozens of other sportsmen, some of them disabled. From these contacts, he co-founded the Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America.

There are now 3,000 members in the national organization. And it all began with Landers’ article.

Several editors, reporters and photographers from this newspaper listened to Williams’ story, and many other stories, during three forums held earlier this summer in our offices in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane Valley. About 45 men and women gathered to share with 21 journalists the ripple effects of being written about in the newspaper. All had appeared in a news, feature or sports story in years past. Some had positive experiences; some didn’t. Each had the opportunity to explain the experience and ask questions.

The forums were part of an ongoing effort to be in better touch with the community we serve. In one sense, a community’s newspaper is in an intimate relationship with its readers. If the relationship is strong, readers can accept the bad news, the truth about itself, knowing the newspaper cares. But if the relationship is strained, as it seems to be with all media now, mistrust and cynicism mark the relationship.

“There are times we have to tell you what you don’t want to hear, when we have to say really hard things, when we have to give you the bad news. And right now, there times when our relationship isn’t strong enough to withstand that,” Scott Sines, managing editor, told forum participants.

To help strengthen and explore the relationship, The Spokesman-Review is holding community forums on a regular basis. The theme of the summer forums was the experience of being in the newspaper.

We decided to explore this because journalists rarely hear from the people they have written about or photographed. They often have no idea how it feels to be highlighted in the newspaper. Or if the person who appeared in the newspaper liked or hated the article. Or if the article changed anything in the individual’s life or community.

We learned much from these forums. Some of the lessons: Newspaper articles can add credibility to a person, event or a cause. Or an article can destroy credibility.

Larry Dixon said an unflattering article and photograph that appeared during his 1990 bid for Spokane County Clerk cost him the election. He still holds a grudge.

Sally Jackson, a Democratic party stalwart, said the reporting on racial slur incidents in the party damaged her reputation. “Now I’m labeled a racist. The paper said it and people believe what they read. It hurt my closeness with a lot of minorities.”

Peer reaction both surprised and dismayed them.

Those who liked their articles were delighted that so many of their peers responded. Ivanka Suveg was featured in “Close to Home,” a column written by North Idaho bureau writer Cynthia Taggart. Suveg grew up in Yugoslavia, but had locked away childhood memories of how much she was hated in a Serbian school. She recently wrote a beautiful poem “Bosnia” and Taggart reprinted the poem and Suveg’s story. Suveg said she received 29 leters, several phone calls and almost 50 people sent her copies of the story.

“It was a bit embarrassing,” Suveg said. “But I never realized before how many people cared.”

Several others reported negative or mixed reaction from peers. Susan MacRae of Coeur d’Alene made the newspapers because she was concerned that student desks arranged in clusters wasn’t the best arrangement for learning. Reporter Susan Drumheller wrote about MacRae’s successful lobbying for arranging the desks in rows in her daughter’s classroom.

MacRae felt good about pressing the issue that she so strongly believed in. But when she returned to the school where she volunteered several hours a week, she received the cold shoulder from some of the teachers and other volunteers.

“I lost weight. I lost sleep. But I decided I needed to hold my head up high,” MacRae said. “I also had a lot of parents who supported me.”

Newspaper stories helped them grieve for the past, uncover truths and talents and change things for the better in their community.

Suveg said doing the story “put years to rest” for her. Meredith Scott was featured in a story about caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s. Talking with writer Julie Sullivan helped with the grieving process, she said.

Pam Brotherton said a newspaper in California uncovered the reason for her son Adam’s birth defect. Thanks to the article, she realized that Adam’s blindness resulted from a chemical leak into the water supply.

“It didn’t fix what happened to my son, but it saved other people.” And Pam no longer wondered whether she had inadvertently been responsible. Spokesman Review writer Mike Vlahovich wrote about Adam’s wrestling exploits at Horizon Junior High and the article helped the family, newcomers to the Valley, feel welcome. Pam said: “We had a great response from the school and the story was great for Adam’s self-esteem.”

Joe Whaley wrote a Your Turn on the editorial pages about his disability due to multiple sclerosis. The article led him to more activism. He recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk with officials about disability rights. And 15-year-old Kim Frantz of Hayden Lake, featured in the newspaper after spending time with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, now gives talks about her experience.

Marlene Mahaffey, who wrote a guest editorial against a plan to raise the water level at Nine Mile Dam, said she feels her article helped to stop the project, which would have flooded hiking trails and wildlife habitat.

“I have a love affair with the river and I didn’t realize how many other people have the same feeling,” Mahaffey said.

The newspaper needs to do a better job of explaining what it does.

Though all the participants had been featured in the newspaper, many still didn’t understand how the newspaper works. Some thought reporters wrote headlines and chose pictures. In reality, copy editors write headlines and photo editors pick the best pictures to illustrate stories.

Others complained that they did not know “the rules” guiding an interview. “What does off the record mean? Can I refuse to answer a question?” They also said that the reporters, especially those who contacted them by phone, seemed in a hurry. This made them nervous.

The reporters and editors at the forums explained that reporters are often on deadline and that explains the urgency in their voices. But sometimes they are simply nervous, too. They urged people who are interviewed to ask questions about the reporting and editing process, no matter how elementary the questions seem.

Both reporters and those featured in stories wish there had been more feedback after the story came out.

Several of the participants were surprised that they never heard from the reporter after they worked together on a story, especially longer stories where reporter and subject spent much time together. Reporters explained that sometimes they are embarrassed to call, in case the person didn’t like the article. They urged those written about to call or write with reaction to the story, be it negative or positive.

Reporters and editors need to be aware how stories dealing with violence affect those who have been victims.

Several of Leisa Kosanke’s family members were shot by Fairchild gunman Dean Mellberg. In a front page article near election time, Kosanke came out against assault weapons. She is glad she spoke out in the newspaper, but she said the newspaper should keep in mind that we now have many victims of violence and tragedy living in our community.

And they react in a deeper, more personal way to stories of violence and tragedy, such as the Oklahoma City bombing. So editors should use care as they select pictures and stories, because what runs in the newspaper can bring back horrible memories. Kosanke said: “Until you are a victim, you don’t know what it’s like.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by A. Heitner

MEMO: These 2 sidebars appeared with the story: 1. A NOTE OF THANKS We would like to thank those who participated in our three forums. Spokane forum: Sunny Brannigan, Sherrie Bryant, Jean Buchanan, Larry Dixon, Marilyn Hart, Morgan Horst, Chris Hugo, Sally Jackson, Tammy Magnuson, Marlene Mahaffey, Stephanie Miller, Jessie Moore, Elinor Nuxoll, Jean Payne, Carolyne Pickup, Dick Russell, Chris Bovey, Meredith Scott, Bonnie Szuch, Joe Whaley, Biff and Ginger Williams, Deborah Wittwer. Spokane Valley forum: Kim Austin, Adam and Pam Brotherton, Vince Collins, Sue Delucchi, Pat Humphries, Stanton Inzer, Bud and Kathy Johnson, Andrea Keith, Leisa Kosanke, Janice Larson, Connie Love and Mary Mitchell. North Idaho forum: Inez Anderson, Mike and Cindy Clabby, Jim Cochrane, Kim Frantz, Betty Osterdock, Scott Hancock, Toni Wartenweiler, Charles Kinsey, Susan MacRae, Eileen Cox, Don Morgan, Larry Schwenke, Jim and Noreen Strouse, Ivanka Suveg.

2. ABOUT OUR FORUMS The Spokesman-Review has forums with community members on a regular basis. In late September, we will be holding community discussions in Colville and Bonners Ferry. We are looking for community members from those towns who are dissatisfied, disappointed or angry with their local, state or federal government but who are still plugged into some part of community life, for instance, as a school or church volunteer. If you are interested or would like more information about these forums, call Rebecca Nappi at (800) 789-0029, ext. 5496.