RPS: Maintaining the wall

Yesterday’s morning meeting started by making it clear that top management had no involvement with the editing or placement decisions regarding Tuesday’s story about Riverpark Square.

Editor Steve Smith said he did not actively participate in Monday afternoon’s meeting when the play of the story was discussed, nor did he edit it. The story was edited by the city editor and an assistant city editor.

The ongoing story will be monitored but Smith stated it was his read of the matter that nothing new has been uncovered which, at this time, would require the newspaper to employ an outside editor for the stories.

Another hot topic at the table: Putting the Michael Vick story out front in the news section instead of sports. “It was a sports story, but it’s a case which has made dog fighting such a big deal. That brought it above and beyond football,” stated sports editor Joe Palmquist. Managing editor Gary Graham said other newspapers played it on page A1, with the Atlanta and Virginian Pilot playing it up large due to their connections to Vick.

In fact, Idaho’s legislature is trying to strengthen its laws in that area in today’s paper.

Photo of the day: The compelling portrait accompanying Today’s “Bubble of Hope”.