Newsworthy

Welcome to the interactive fiction game: <h2 class='newsworthy'>NEWSWORTHY</h2> This game will teach the basics of ethical journalism practices and principles. This game is divided into 2 levels: Truth & Independence. These levels represent the values that journalists practice in their everyday jobs. You will be placed in the shoes of a news reporter in a local community, telling a story that shakes your neighbors to their cores. By practicing ethical journalism, you can tell the story the way the community needs to hear it. When you see text in a different color, you should click it to take you to the next passage. If you see something underlined then it's a hyperlink that takes you to an online resource. It will open in a new tab when you click it, so you can read the resources at your leisure. Please enjoy the game. The life of a journalist requires flexibility, adaptability, and a strong ethical compass. [[Choose wisely. -> level 1: truth!]]

<h1 class="title">Level 1: Truth!</h1> [[Time to wake up! -> wake up]]

Wake up. You're in your dingy bedroom. It's pretty messy, but that's because of all the late nights you've been pulling. Also, surprise! You're not making a ton of money. Looks like it's off-brand cereal and almost-spoiled milk for breakfast. Again. As you're eating your stale cereal you decide to check your email and find several several from community members! They were unhappy with your last article about the high school debate team getting last place in nationals. You see a lot of nasty comments online from parents as well. They're telling you how their kids didn't get enough quotes to defend themselves or that the newspaper shouldn't have even reported on their last place award in the first place. How do you respond? [[email 1 <- You choose to respond to the emails you received]] instead of replying to comments online. Your role as a journalist is not to defend the news you report, but you can still respond privately to let your readers know you simply were doing your job. [[email 2 <- You don't respond.]] Your role as a journalist is to remain the objective observer. If they're unhappy with what happened, that's their problem. As long as your piece made it past your editors with no complaints, then you have nothing to worry about. [[email 3 <- You choose to respond publicly in the comments section]] of the article. You write a passionate response that explains your methodology and process of reporting, writing, and editing. In the end, you apologize that they did not like the piece, but you still stand by what you wrote.

You choose to respond to the emails you received instead of replying to comments online. Your role as a journalist is not to defend the news you report, but you can still respond privately to let your readers know you simply were doing your job responsibly. This was very diplomatic! While you placated the parents angery enough to send you an email, the ones on Facebook were still pretty pissed and left more nasty comments on your piece online. You chose to not respond to the comments there, which is a common jouanlistic practice. In a study conducted by the <a href="https://mediaengagement.org/research/journalists-and-online-comments/"target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> University of Texas' Center for Media Engagement</a> about 1/3 of the journalists' surveyed were opposed to responding to online comments. However, it does look like the local high school isn't too thrilled about the story either. Because of cited "parent complaints" they've emailed you to let you know that they refuse to work with you any further. Can't win them all. That means you're officially off the high school news beat. [[But that brings us to a good point. ->beat]]

You don't respond. Your role as a journalist is to remain the objective observer. If they're unhappy with what happened, that's their problem. As long as your piece made it past your editors with no complaints, then you have nothing to worry about. However, that means there are still a cohort of angery parents, school officials, and debate kids who are after your online reputation. But you follow your ethical compass and choose to remain true to the role of a journalist, as the objective observer. Many journalists follow this example. In a study conducted by the <a href="https://mediaengagement.org/research/journalists-and-online-comments/"target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> University of Texas' Center for Media Engagement</a> about 1/3 of the journalists' surveyed were opposed to responding to online comments. In the end, everyone cooled off and forgot about the entire incident. But the hate comments are still up online and it would be unethical to delete them. You can't win 'em all, but at least you're still on the coveted high school beat. [[Which brings us to a good point. ->beat]]

You choose to respond publicly in the comments section of the article. You write a passionate response that explains your methodology and process of reporting, writing, and editing. In the end, you apologize that they did not like the piece, but you still stand by what you wrote. "Wow, this so-called 'reporter' doesn't know how to take criticsm." Reads one of the impassioned responses. Your comment stirred up more controvery than you would have liked, but it's important to you that your readers understand you take your job very seriously. You're not the only one; according to a study conducted by the <a href="https://mediaengagement.org/research/journalists-and-online-comments/"target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>University of Texas' Center for Media Engagement </a> about 2/3 of the journalists' surveyed said they would occasionally respond to comments on their articles (but would usually refrain from the uncivil comments). In the end you can't win em all. But you've shown some of your readers that you're a responsive and responsible reporter. But the school also emailed you and said they won't cooperate with you on stories anymore. Guess you're off the coveted high school beat now. [[Which brings us to a good point. ->beat]]

A beat is considered a certain area or topic that is reported on. Many beat reporters do not consult just one source, but rather tap many sources in order to provide the most comprehensive story. You can learn more about beats from <a href= "https://journalismdegree.org/careers/beat-reporter/"target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> Journalismdegree.org </a> [[Now, back to the story -> newsroom]]

Great! Let's head to the office. You've got a pitch meeting with all of the editors and reporters. Lately, you've heard a lot of rumors of undercover busts happening around town and wonder if there's a story behind this recent uptick in activity. It doesn't hurt that your sister works on the local police force and might've tipped you off. You give your pitch. The room is silent. You're nervous but your editor doesn't look entirely disappointed. Instead she looks... suspicious. "So, you're how certain about this source's information?" She looks severe. What do you say? [["Yea 100%. In fact, it's my sister who works on the force. She said she could give me all the details." -> sister source ]] [["Pretty certain. But I don't want to give up my source. They'll only respond to me." -> anonymous source ]] [["Well, this source has pulled a lot of pranks on me throughout the years, so maybe it was a joke..." -> familiar source]]

Your editor looks surprised, then disappointed. "Well, great. We'll follow the trail. But you can't write it -- not when your sister is the source. That's a conflict of interest. I guess Austin can write it." [[What's a conflict of interest, you ask? -> conflict of interest]]

Your editor looks surprised, then suspicious. "Why only you? What connection do you have to this source? If you know them personally then you won't be able to write it anyway. That's a conflict of interest. I guess Austin will write it, then." [[What's a conflict of interest, you ask? -> conflict of interest]]

Your editor looks surprised, then disappointed. "Pulled pranks on you? What, is it your sister? Oh. It's your sister. You can't write this story anyway, then. That's a conflict of interest. I guess Austin will write it then." [[What's a conflict of interest, you ask? -> conflict of interest]]

A conflict of interest can arise from many situations. If the writer or editor has any personal or professional connection to a subject of a story that could influence how the story is told, they should not have any part of the story. This could be many different situations. If the writer has any connection, whether perceived or not, can influence how citizens read your story and lead them to believe you have something to gain from publishing it. Examples: you hold stocks in a company that you're reporting on -- you can gain money. If you graduated from a school you're reporting on -- you can benefit from those connections. If your police officer sister gets good graces in the public's eye, she might get a promotion. You? Probably fired. Along these same lines, journalists should never accept gifts from outside forces that could influence their perspective and bias when reporting on certain subjects. You won't be seeing any reporters You can research more into conflicts of interest on <a href= https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/resources/ethics-handbook-for-students/nyu-journalism-handbook-for-students/#conflicts target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> New York University's Journalism Handbook for Students </a>. [[Moving on! ->moving on]]

Well damn. That story would've been a hard-hitting piece for your portfolio, but it's good that you value ethical journalism above good writing samples. Your editor listens to every one else's pitches and assigns you the burglary case. On one hand, it's cool to be on the crime beat, even though it's not exactly a hard-hitter. But it is news! Great. So now you're the reporter. Your first move should be to start thinking about the [[5 W's and an H.->5Ws]]

What happened? Who was involved? When did [the event] happen? Where did [the event] happen? Why did it happen? (Bonus!) How did it happen? These 5W's and H will help your piece come together. So the first thing we want to do is think about the story in general. Your readership is the greater suburban community of your average-sized town. They'll want to know who was burgled, what was burgled, and who did the burgling. With that said. What do you want to do first? [[Interview the storeowners that were burgled! -> zeppones]] [[Interview the police! -> police]]

You head to the store, a little Mom n' Pop donut shop named "Baker's Dozen Coffee & Donuts" that has been around for ages. Before every interview, you know you need to come prepared, so you did a little fact-checking before you headed out and learned that Baker's Dozen Coffee & Donuts has been owned by Artie (64) and Joanne (68) Zeppone for the past 34 years. As you pull up to the donut shop you notice the front door's window has been smashed and covered up with cardboard. Inside you can still see the bright neon sign that says "Fresh donuts! Fresh coffee!" hanging on the wall. Walking in you see an old couple working the counter. What do you say? You don't want to give away the fact that you're a journalist too fast. they may not be so forthcoming with juicy information if they think you're a nosy reporter! So, you say: [["Good morning! Nice day for a donut. Say, what happened to your door, folks?" -> sneaky]] Or, you decide to let them know right off the bat that you're a journalist, or else they won't trust you later on. Besides, you want to make sure they know you're on their side and just want to get the truth out there! So, you say: [["Good morning! I'm with the local newspaper and we're writing a story on this robbery. Are you the storeowners?" -> not sneaky]]

You do some light research into the broken-in shop before heading over to the police. You learn that the store is a little Mom n' Pop donut shop named "Baker's Dozen Coffee & Donuts" It's been owned by Artie & Joanne Zeppole for the past 34 years. Real community staples! You walk in to the police department and ask the friendly receptionist if you could have a statement from the officer who handled the case. The receptionist calls over [[Officer Robert Salas. -> salas statement]]

Yikes! Gonna have to stop ya right there, bud. As a journalist, you must announce yourself right away, especially in situations where you will be interviewing people. To pretend you're not a journalist is to deceive the very people you work for, and is therefore unethical. If you want to really dive into the ethics of this, check out The Elements of Journalism by former journalists Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel (specifically, page 82). So let's rewind there. [[What do you say? -> zeppones]]

"Oh good, you're here! Artie! This is the reporter!" Joanne is very excited to see you and ushers you into a seat. "I'm Joanne, the coffeemaker. That's Artie, my husband; he's the donut guy. We want to get who done did us wrong in the news so that he can pay!" Looks like Joanne has some things she wants to get off her chest. But first, we need to remember something vital to journalism: truth. in order to take anything these people say, let's verify they're who they say they are first. The journalist can never assume. You ask for their full names and IDs, just to double check (you never know!) and if you can record them (for accuracy). After they agree they get down to [[the story. -> zeppone story]]

Before we begin, I encourage you to take a quick glance at <a href=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/edit/MencherIntv1.html target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>Columbia University's Interview Principles.</a> They'll help guide you through the interview. Joanne begins: Artie and I were just finishing cleaning up for the evening. It was around 6 p.m. then. We wiped the tables and prepped the machines for the morning when we would come back. We both left in our car and started driving home when all of a sudden Artie gets a phone call from the alarm company! Artie, tell 'em. Artie continues: Right, right. I get the call. We're not even home yet. The woman on the line says that an alarm's been triggered at the store and is asking if it's us. Joanne interjects: Well of course it ain't us! Artie continues: And I say, "No, ma'am, we're on our way home now. You tell that intruder to stop where they are!" and I turn around and we head back to the store. When we get there the first thing we see is our door, all shattered. Joanne bursts out: The glass is everywhere! Our poor door never stood a chance! Artie continues: And all of a sudden I see a guy, dressed all in black, run out from the door. He must've seen our headlights coming or something. And he runs right past us out into the street again. Joanne: And I'm terrified but I get out and I yell "Come back here you thief! Rascal! Punk!" But he doesn't come back. so then Artie gets out and goes into the store, turns the lights on and what have 'ya. Then I phone call the police to tell them to come over, too. [[Wow! -> Wow you say]]

"Wow," you say. "That's very frightening. How do you feel about what happened?" Joanne responded first. "Well, terrified! We don't feel safe here anymore. We've been here, what 30 years? How dare they do this to such a community staple like our donut shop," she said. "How much was stolen, do you know?" You ask. Joanne and Artie look perplexed. "Well, it seems we came before they could take anything. The cash register wasn't opened and nothing was broken inside. Just the door," Joanne said. Artie nodded beside her. [["Thank you for your time." -> well, that's interesting!]]

Well! That's very interesting! You tell Joanne and Artie your contact info in case they want to say anything more and snap a few pictures of them, the shattered door, and the inviting neon sign. Next, let's head to the police station to try to get a word out of that officer. You're going to want to corroborate the story you just heard. [[You walk outside, but are stopped short. -> dog!]]

When you walk out of the donut shop you're stopped by a friendly looking mutt. The dog walker is close behind. "Isn't this a shame?" the dog walker laments while you say hello to the prettiest dog you ever saw. "I was walking Frisco here when it happened last night. Round 6:45 or so." Wow! Just your luck! Without even looking for one, you've found an eyewitness. This is important to get another angle on the story, if there is one. You introduce yourself as a reporter and ask the dog walker if they'd like to be interviewed. Morgan Parke (34) readily agrees and steadies the bouncing pup. "I was walking Frisco after his dinner. He always goes out right around this time. Just as we're walking down the sidewalk here I hear these tires screech, and I see Joanne and Artie's car zooming into the lot. Then, before they can even get outta the car or anything this person comes bursting out the door of the donut shop. I hadn't even heard it break or knew the glass was broken! The person sprints away from the shop as Joanne and Artie yell at 'em and doesn't look back. I came over to make sure everyone was ok, and I held Frisco back before he could chase after the scoundrel. It's a real shame what happened. The Zeppones have been here as long as I can remember. Their shop is a town staple. It's hard to feel safe in a town where even our favorite bakery isn't safe from robbery." After a few follow-up questions and asking for Morgan's contact information, you ask Morgan if the police knew about this eyewitness account. Morgan assured you that the statement had already been given. With that, you bid farewell to the fun-loving, angel-eyed Frisco and move on to your next destination. Ok. So you have the original source and the eyewitness source. Have you corroborated these stories with the police yet? [[Yes, I've already talked to the police. -> level 2: independence]] [[No, I haven't. Let's go talk to the police. -> police]]

Congratulations, reporter! you've moved up to Level 2: Independence. Let's write the story! Let's take stock of what we have. Do you remember the 5 W's and an H? What happened: A local donut shop was broken into, but nothing stolen. There were little damages Who was involved: The donut shop, the Zeppone family When did it happen: Saturday evening, 6:47 p.m. Why: The police and the Zeppone family do not know the purpose of the break-in. How did it happen: The perpetrator broke the glass front door and entered and exited the premises that way. Nothing was stolen from within. You've drafted up two stories to submit to your editor. Which story do you go with? [[Headline: Police investigate break-in at bakery -> Good story]] [[Headline: Beloved bakery targeted by mystery perp. Police have no suspects! -> Bad story]]

The statement Officer Salas gives is simple and direct: "There was a break-in reported at 6:47 p.m. of a local shop, the Baker's Dozen Coffee & Donuts shop. The storeowners returned to the shop before the perpetrator was able to steal anything of value, however there was some visible, cosmetic damage to the establishment. The police are working very diligently to release a description of the suspect that will hopefully lead to an arrest." Well that's not a lot of information. But you're a reporter. Let's investigate. What do you ask? [["This donut shop was a staple of this community and now someone has their eye on destroying it. Any possible leads? Perhaps it was a scheme for insurance money. Or do you think it's those rowdy kids who tee-pee'd the rival high school last month?" -> loaded question]] Or, [["Do you know why this crime might have taken place? Was this motivated or a random act?" -> interview question]]

"This donut shop was a staple of this community and now someone has their eye on destroying it. Any possible leads? Perhaps it was a scheme for insurance money. Or do you think it's those rowdy kids who tee-pee'd the rival high school last month?" Woah there! That's a loaded question. If you go into so much detail about information you don't know the officer could start distrusting you. It would look like you, the reporter, are digging for a catchy story that'll further your career -- instead of doing your community a service by reporting on the facts of the matter. Why don't you try a [[less pointed question? -> interview question]]

"Do you know why this crime might have taken place? Was this motivated or a random act?" Good question! It's open-ended and specific. The officer will be competent in answering and won't feel pressured. If you had asked something like "is this an insurance scam" or "is this a targeted attack on the donut industry" the officer might think you're digging for a story with a good hook to further your journalism career. It's important to avoid lecturing the source or priming them with information that could influence the real evidence and testimonial you need. Journalism professor and experienced journalist Tony Rogers goes over ethical interview practices when talking to the police in this <a href= https://www.thoughtco.com/covering-the-cops-2073873 target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>ThoughtCo article from January 2019</a>. Anyways. Back to [[Officer Salas. -> Salas responds]]

"At the moment we don't have any concrete leads on the case. If the public has any information the police department would be very grateful. We want to reassure the community that this seems to be a random event and to take normal, precautionary measures when locking up their businesses and personal homes. Thank you for your time." Well! That's good information! Remind me, have you talked to the donut shop owners yet? [[No, I haven't! I better head over right now. -> zeppones]] [[Yes, I have! I know the whole story now. -> level 2: independence]]

You send in your story to the copy editors proudly. You dedicated your time to double- and triple-checking your facts to make sure you were accurate, comprehensive, and transparent. While the story seems lackluster and probably won't go viral anytime soon, it is a true account of how the events unfolded. The next day the head copyeditor comes to your desk. "Hey, rookie. I just wanted to give you kudos on your piece. It was well-written and factual. I marked up a few points that I thought were well done. Click on the blue, bolded words to see my notes. I wrote them in red." Let's take a look! Headline: Police investigate break-in at bakery(click: "break-in at bakery")[ Editor's Note: This headline is factual, similar in tone to the story, and keeps readers engaged by using an action verb -- everything Merlin Mann, professor of journalism, said to do in his webpage about headlines on <a href=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/client_edit/Headlines.html target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>Columbia.edu!</a>] Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Donuts was broken into on the evening of Saturday, April 20. Nothing was reported stolen and nobody was hurt during the burglary.(click: "burglary")[ Ed: This is a great lede! The "lede" is what journalists call the first paragraph of each news story. For a lede to be succesful, the reader will understand the most important information within the first 2-3 sentences. Journalist Tony Rogers explains how to write compelling ledes in his <a href=https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-great-lede-2074346 target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>article on ThoughtCo.</a>] Storeowners Artie and Joanne Zeppone were on their way home when they received a call from their alarm company alerting them of the break-in. When they arrived at the Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Donuts, they found their front door shattered and a figure inside their shop.(click: "inside their shop")[ Ed: This is a well-written nut graf. It alerts the reader to what they will soon be reading in the article as well as elaborates on more information from the lede. Writer Michelle Rafter explains it well in her <a href=https://michellerafter.com/2013/08/15/back-to-basics-the-nut-graph/ target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>website</a>, as well.] “All of a sudden, I see a guy dressed all in black run out from the door. He must've seen our headlights coming or something. And he runs right past us out into the street again,” Artie Zeppone said. Artie and Joanne Zeppone called the police to report the break-in. They found nothing broken inside and nothing of value stolen. According to the police’s preliminary investigation, there are no suspects.(click: "no suspects.")[ Ed: This is a great place to point out the Inverted Pyramid format. This organizational structure simply places the most important information at the top of the story and gradually incorporating the less important information throughout the article. Tony Rogers explains the entire structure in his <a href=https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-structure-news-stories-2074332 target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>ThoughtCo article here</a>.] “At the moment we don’t have any concrete leads on the case,” said Officer Robert Salas. Community residents are shaken after the incident. Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Donuts has been run by the Zeppones for 38 years and has become a favorite for many.(click: "favorite for many")[ Ed: This isn't considered editorializing because you have several quotes, from Morgan Parke and Joanne Zeppone, calling this store a favorite. This, corroborated with other community members, is a good way to humanize the story.] Local resident Morgan Parke, 34, was walking his dog outside the shop when the event happened. “The Zeppones have been here as long as I can remember,” Parke said. “Their shop is a town staple. It’s hard to feel good in a town where even our favorite bakery isn’t safe from robbery.” The Zeppones hope that the police will be swift in apprehending the perpetrator. “I don’t think we’ll feel safe until the police catch whoever did this. We’ve been here, what, 30 years? How dare they do this to such a community staple like our donut shop,” Joanne Zeppone said. According to the police, residents should feel safe but remain aware of their surroundings. “We want to reassure the community that this seems to be a random event and to take normal, precautionary measures when locking up their businesses and personal homes,” Salas said. The police are working to release a description of the perpetrator. The public is encouraged to contact the police department with any information. ----- Nice job, reporter! This is a well-researched piece. (Just for fun, do you want to see what a [[poorly written piece might look like?) -> Bad story]] Or, we can [[wrap this up! -> finish]]

You send your draft to the copy editors proudly. You're confident that you added enough pizazz to the Zeppone's story for it to really get people's attention. The next day, though, the head copy editor comes up to your desk. "Listen here, kid. We've got some work to do. Your article might be able to fly if we were a tabloid, but we're not. Read my notes carefully so you know how to be better next time. Click on the blue, bolded words to see my notes. I wrote them in red." Headline: Beloved (click: "Beloved") [(Editor's note: You're editorializing!)] bakery targeted by mystery perp. Police have no suspects! (click: "mystery perp") [Ed: Editorializing is when the journalist reports opinions rather than the news. It's important to know that journalists must maintain objectivity in all of their reporting. Author and philosophy professor Mike W. Martin defines journalistic objectivity in four parts:<ol> "(1) being nonpartisan, in the sense of not advocating a position on controversial issues; (2) maintaining balanced partisanship, as when a newspaper provides a fair representation of opposing partisan viewpoints; (3) maintaining value neutrality in the sense of stating facts without making value judgements; or (4) not distorting facts and understanding."</ol>You can read more in-depth about these issues in "Journalism Ethics: a Reference Handbook" by Elliot D. Cohen and Deni Elliott.] Coffee, donuts and broken glass were everywhere when dear old Artie and Joanne Zeppone returned to their bakery on Saturday, April 20. They are the victims of a suspicious(click: "suspicious") [ Ed: That's unfounded! Nobody said it was suspicious in an interview.] break-in that has baffled the police. Storeowners Artie and Joanne Zeppone, married for 34 years,(click: "married for 34 years,") [ Ed: While this is interesting, it's not important enough to be in the nutgraf -- the second paragraph of a news story. Chip Scanlan goes into more detail about the nut graf in his <a href=https://www.poynter.org/archive/2003/the-nut-graf-part-i/ target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>article for Poynter here</a>.] were on their way home when they received a call from their alarm company alerting them of the break-in. When they arrived at the Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Donuts, they found mayhem and mystery. (click: "mayhem and mystery") [ Ed: Editorializing] Joanne Zeppone was terrified. “The glass is everywhere! Our poor door never stood a chance!” she exclaimed.(click: "exclaimed") [ Ed: "exclaimed" adds a connotation to what Zeppone said. This connotation results in editorializing, which journalists refrain from doing. The same goes for the exclamation mark (!) that was used. You can read more about attributions in quotes from <a href=https://web.ku.edu/~edit/attribute.html target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>Kansas University's website here.</a>] “All of a sudden, I see a guy dressed all in black run out from the door. He must've seen our headlights coming or something. And he runs right past us out into the street again,” Artie Zeppone, passionate baker, said.(click: "passionate baker")[ Ed: Editorializing! The only fact that matters is that he's a baker.] The Zeppones called the police but it was already too late. Morgan Parke saw the whole robbery happen. “The person sprints away from the shop as Joanne and Artie yell at 'em and doesn't look back. I came over to make sure everyone was ok, and I held Frisco [vicious guard dog] (click: "vicious guard dog")[ Ed: It's good that you clarify who, or what, Frisco is. But calling him a vicious guard dog is simply deceiving your readership. Calling Frisco a dog would have worked perfectly] back before he could chase after the scoundrel,” Parke said. The police are befuddled(click: "befuddled")[ Ed: You can't prove that!] by the senseless act of violence. Officer Robert Salas reported there was “...damage to the establishment.”(click: "...damage")[ Ed: This quote is missrepresentative of what Officer Salas actually said, which was that there was "some visible, cosmetic damage to the establishment." The reporter should avoid using partial quotes because of this. Professor of Journalism Malcolm Gibson explains this on his <a href=https://web.ku.edu/~edit/quotes.html target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>academic webpage about journalism</a>.] “At the moment we don’t have any concrete leads on the case,” Salas said. The community is shaken.(click: "community")[ Ed: You didn't interview the entire community. Therefore, you can't claim that the entire community is shaken.] Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Donuts is the lifeblood of this town. This thief has struck our center. Who knows when he will strike again? Who will he strike next?(click: "Who will he strike next?")[ Ed: Honestly, these last few sentences are simply fear-mongering and irresponsible. As a reporter, your job is to state the proven fact. You cannot report unsubstantiated claims (like these). The role of the journalist is to remain a committed observer, according to former president of the Tampa Bay Times, Gil Thelen. The American Press Institute explains more about the nuances of being a <a href="http://api2019live.wpengine.com/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/journalist-committed-observer/" target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> "committed observer" on their website</a>.] “I don’t think we’ll feel safe until the police catch whoever did this. We’ve been here, what, 30 years? How dare they do this to such a community staple like our donut shop,” Joanne Zeppone said, wiping tears from her eyes with trembling hands.(click: "wiping tears from her eyes with trembling hands")[ Ed: Ok. You know by now why we can't print this, right?] --------- Well. Yikes. So your story didn't go so well. Why don't we send in a second draft then. Now that you understand the basics of editorializing and accurate reporting I'm sure it'll go better. This time, you headline it [["Police investigate break-in at bakery." -> Good story]]

Your story is published in print and online. The Zeppones send you a thank you letter for sharing their story. You wish them the best in finding out who the perpetrator is. You also receive a very excited phone call from your mother, aunt, and uncle. Your young niece wants to interview you for her school project, too. You've never felt more important. Congratulations, reporter! You've made it to the end of the game. All I can implore of you now is to bring these ethics and principles into your daily repetoire. National reporters face ethical dilemmas every day of their career. Local reporters are simply the first rung of the ladder. Support journalism. In the end, we are all here to find the truth. Some helpful resources: <ul> <li> The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel (2001)</li> <li> NYU Journalism Handbook for Students: Ethics, Law and Good Practice by By Adam L. Penenberg (Retrieved from <a href=https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/resources/ethics-handbook-for-students/nyu-journalism-handbook-for-students/ target=”_blank” class=”off-site”> Journalism.NYU.edu)</a></li> <li>The Columbia Journalism Review (Retrieved from <a href=https://www.cjr.org/ target=”_blank” class=”off-site”>CJR.org)</a></li> This interactive fiction game was created in the spring of 2019 by Soleil Gaffner to re-establish trust in local and national media. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can find her at LSGaffner@gmail.com.