5 Comments so far

Bob Cook on September 22, 2005 6:18 pm

1. I pick up a strong sense of anger or frustration at whoever tipped off the Des Moines media. I heard this same line of thought from local citizens, teachers, and an editorial in the Herald this week. That focus on the person who contacted the media is misguided and completely misses the most important point from this sad episode.
   My anger is much more directed at major Iowa media sources determining that a story about a few WCV kids getting caught drinking beer was even newsworthy and should be covered.
   These news outlets do a balanced job of covering the immediate DSM metro area, both positive and negative stories, leaving the viewing public with a reasonable perspective of metro Des Moines and a handfull of surrounding suburbs.
   This is never true of the Des Moines media coverage of towns like Stuart and other smaller communities outside the metro but in the viewing area. In a very immature and sensational approach to news, they seldom cover any positives from this area but find energy and time to cover something as small and mundane as kids drinking beer.
   I would like to focus on these points.
   1.How many Polk county students were drinking that same night? Maybe hundreds.
   2. With a Des Moines public school system in financial distress and poor performances at several Des Moines schools, is this the most vital and important story Channel 8 or 13 could focus on? I doubt it, but it requires no brains, news skills, and may even titalate the audience. The only thing better for ratings may be an epose on teen sexuality.
   We have a very costly war going on, hurrican relief needs and are spending money like crazy, all being put on the future tax bills of our children. With this perspective in mind, it is clear to see that coverage of non-news like this is purely diversionary and taking the low, dumb road in journalism.
   Maybe the ongoing move to cover only the negative and controversial in the outlying towns makes Polk county residents feel superior, but it really demonstrates that Iowa’s major news media is very second rate.
   Focusing anger at a kid or someone you heard may have tipped off the media is off base and misses the more crucial elements of this story, the poor judgement of the news directors charged with rationing the resources of two of Iowa’s largest television stations. This is yet another reason why I read to gain knowlwdge, not trust TV to learn anything. It is a shallow, dumbed down product at best and this coverage only drives home that point.
   I would have hoped some staff at our school would have thought deep enough to see the real issue here instead of feeling betrayed by a kid like some member of a special social club. I am disapointed in the coverage as well as the not very deep local reaction.
   Yes, I too do not condone the under age drinking but am aware that many young people take a fall or two before they are on the path to success as adults. I would ask the Des Moines media to have enough resources and brains to cover us in our entirity, good and bad, or not cover us at all. Selective coverage only provides a distorted picture of the communities outside of metro Des Moines.
   Bob Cook-Stuart, Iowa

Nate Westre on September 28, 2005 12:35 pm

2. Bob, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t look at the real issues, just the reaction of some individuals on the surface. There’s no doubt there are or were bigger and better stories to report but like you said, the story about the WCV kids was a layup. There was no real reporting involved. I’ve noticed that happens here a lot as well though…there’s a lot of urban vs. rural type news stories and the stereotypes are usually quite abundant. It’s much the same as the recent New Orleans coverage. Granted, a lot of the population there is poor and black, but you didn’t see many stories about poor whites unless it was to spin it in a way that the whites were unfortunate but the blacks were irresponsible…an easy story because of heightened senses of stereotypes. I agree with you that the city folks get a certain amount of pleasure seeing and talking about dumb farm kids doing dumb farm kid things, but how often do they look around to see if the dumb city kids are doing the exact same things? I doubt if it’s very often.

   Thanks for the comments Bob…I appreciate it!

mike cook on October 12, 2005 1:06 am

3. i go to school with some of these kids and it is pretty sad that someone has enough anger in them to tip of the police as to where the party was, most likely because he or she wasnt invited. also, its a pretty sad day when the news media has nothing better to report on than some kids getting caught with a little bit of liquor. I would like to know how many of those news reporters drank underage and were very happy when they made it home without being caught. honestly, we have a 200 billion dollar war going on right now, being led by an former (allegedly) alcoholic, and a former cocaine addict. we have millions of people losing their jobs, and all that people can focus on is, go figure, teenagers!

Lindsay on October 17, 2005 7:49 pm

4. You know… the more I think about this, the more pissed off I get. I’m talking about Tyler Coe’s article about too much homework. I was just wondering if he knows what it is like to be a teacher, how we manage our time. We have homework every night, and also, he shouldn’t be whining because our high school is cake. Is he planning on going to college? Does he think he won’t get any homework there? Isn’t it our job as teachers to prepare kids for the “real world”? And when most kids do go to college, wouldn’t it be nice if they knew how to do homework, even if it meant doing it on the bus after a basketball game, staying up a little later after work, or here’s an idea… study hall? Unless he plans on working at Jubilee for the rest of his life, I suggest that he quit moaning and groaning and just do it. My god, why doesn’t he complain about something of importance. Homework? Give me a break, Tyler.

Nate Westre on October 18, 2005 4:23 pm

5. I have homework every night and I haven’t been in school for almost 3 years. But maybe that’s why I don’t know how Walmart sets up their electronics department.