Post your thoughts: Prosecuting the story

The issues of journalism ethics and credibility are in the news again with this week's resignation of USA Today reporter Jack Kelley. The reporter was forced to quit for misleading editors during an investigation into the accuracy of stories he reported and wrote, according to USA Today editors. This latest episode comes in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times last spring and summer. The following is a special API report on skeptical editing and prosecuting stories.

"Put the story on the witness stand and let it stand up in court. "

Reid MacCluggage

That was the challenge thrown out to the news media in late 1998 by Reid MacCluggage, then president of the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME).

API was the first to accept the challenge, incorporating workshops on skeptical editing at a half-dozen seminars in 1998-2000.

"This ties in with our emphasis on returning to core values in the profession, " said Bill Winter, then API president and executive director.

MacCluggage issued the challenge to API and the Poynter Institute at the annual APME conference in the wake of a series of major media blunders at the Boston Globe, Cincinnati Enquirer, New Republic and CNN. API was the first to act.

"Most editors don't have the necessary skills to "prosecute " a story, just as they don't have the skills to be a good manager or writing coach, " said MacCluggage.

API recruited MacCluggage, publisher and editor of the New London (Conn.) Day to lead the first discussion at a senior editors seminar in November 1998. MacCluggage later reprised the presentation at seminars for city editors, journalism educators and lifestyle editors. In the last five years, other API discussion leaders incorporated the topic into presentations for writers and for sports editors.

Since then, API has hosted several seminars focused specifically on ethics and how to prevent the controversies that have rocked several newsrooms.

We invite you to post your comments below on ways you feel editors can improve in finding holes in stories, and ways newsrooms can work to avoid the controversies that some have been involved in in recent years.